


All is Fair

by TheJiffyLube6



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-18 21:18:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 63,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13690008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheJiffyLube6/pseuds/TheJiffyLube6
Summary: Lightning is a general in Guardian Corps and is sent on a mission to save the L'Cie from genocide. The only survivor does something most failed to do: get close to Lightning. Has elements of other Final Fantasy games but focuses on Lightning and Vanille.





	1. The Mission

It was time.

Everyone was in position and the three generals looked to their commander for the signal. Squall Leonhart was staring out of the large window in the war room in his office on the third floor of Balamb Garden. His dark bangs were hardly blocking his vision but out of habit and stress he ran his gloved fingers through them anyway. Without turning around he tilted his head to the side to glance at his three top Soldiers: a young, pink-haired woman with her toned arms folded in impatience, a tall blonde man with extremely spiky hair looking stoically back at Squall, and a younger, shorter blonde man who was practically bouncing on his heals with excitement and anticipation.

Squall sighed and his eyes slid closed. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the right thing to do, but no invasion mission was easy. He was the commander after all and the decision was his. This fact alone made each wounded and fallen Soldier his responsibility and telling these brave women and men that they must risk their lives was never something he took lightly.

Without opening his eyes, Squall gave one nod of his head and even though it was such a small gesture all three of the generals caught it and turned around. They made their way wordlessly to the elevator to head down to the newly added boat launching platform on the bottom floor of Balamb Garden where the other Soldiers and cadets waited.

"All right! Let's do this!" Tidus, the younger blonde, exclaimed with an obligatory air punch as he strode through the elevator's open doors.

"I wouldn't be too excited if I were you. Galbadia's army is not known for their mercy. We'll be trying to take prisoners and they'll be shooting to kill," the older blonde, Cloud, said somberly. He was one of the top Soldiers but he, like Squall, was never apt to rush into battle if it could be avoided and unfortunately this one could not be.

The woman, who everyone called Lightning, kept her silence because she was thinking along the same lines as Squall and Cloud. The adversarial nation of Galbadia was infamous for its human rights violations and extreme violence towards outsiders. Unfortunately, as of late, public opinion had swayed governmental policy and people such as L'Cie (whose only difference is their country of origin which is Gran Pulse), had started being targeted. Many were being branded with tattoos upon entering the country and as a result more prejudiced members of Galbadia were even seeking L'Cie out and doing terrible things to them. The government turned a blind eye and even implemented policies in which to further allow such atrocities to continue. This is where Balamb Garden had to step in. Garden is home to the Guardian Corps, which is a military group that strives to protect all citizens from tyrannical governments as well as prevent human rights violations. This one was too blatant to ignore as many other countries had.

* * *

Lightning strode onto the boat that would take them to the beaches in Galbadia. She had a quick discussion with the Soldier who'd be steering and then made her way to the rest of her team. She saw some familiar faces, as always Zell was there pumping his fists and being all around obnoxious and Yuna, Tidus' girlfriend, was sitting by herself, cleaning her handguns. She recognized the rest of their faces but could not put names to most of them. It was usually better that way; better not to get too friendly with anyone in a job like this.

Looking around at all of the faces she could recognize fear, apprehension, and, in Zell's case, excitement. Save for Zell and Tidus, these people did not want to be here. Of course, helping the L'Cie was the right thing to do, but sometimes it's hard to remember that on the cusp of a major battle.

She began giving her usual speech, she had done this so many times that she was hardly even hearing what she was saying. Every now and then she would catch herself saying, "don't break ranks..." or "aim to incapacitate, not kill." She was impressed how she could make such a serious mission seem so boring.

It was a short trip from Garden to the Galbadian city of Timber and Lightning didn't even bother to sit down for the remainder of the trip. Before long a cadet announced that they were almost there and everyone prepared themselves, checking weapons and whispering prayers to themselves. With a great lurch the boat hit the sandy beach and the large bay doors opened. Immediately, Lightning could tell the Galbadian army was aware of their arrival and she had to rush her troops to the nearby cover of an abandoned beach house. Bullets whizzed by as they threw themselves under cover of the house on stilts.

"Okay, this is going to be more difficult than the original plan, but we still need to make it to the square. Follow me and keep up!" Lightning ran out from the house and up the stairs inflicting minor wounds to the soldiers who stood in her path. _How did they know we were coming? This was supposed to be a surprise attack_ , Lightning thought angrily to herself. Every once in a while she checked behind her to make sure her unit was okay but they all had seemed to have found their courage and were keeping up just fine.

Suddenly, loud sirens started going off around the town and a voice could be heard as if through a loud speaker, "Pull back, Guardian Corps, or the slaughter of the L'Cie will begin."

Ultimatums like this had been made ever since the Garden had threatened to intervene in Galbadia. Lightning's unit was obviously shaken by the announcement but none faltered. This repeated many times as they ran to the center of the town where there was supposed to be a large fountain. Lightning was certain they were not bluffing, but she needed Cloud's and Tidus' units here to decide what their next move would be.

Just as they were turning onto the main street Lightning threw out her arm to stop them. The sight that met them around the corner was one that they would never forget. There, instead of a fountain in the town square was a pile of dead bodies, presumably L'Cie bodies, as tall as a one story building. The bodies had not recently perished and some had even begun to decompose. _How can people do this to one another?_ Lightning's emotions were not betrayed on her face but inside she was swirling with white, hot rage.

Lightning had seen many horrific things in her career but this... this had to be the worst mass killing in history. By the looks of this mass grave, the slaughter had started long before the Guardian Corps had ever stepped foot in Galbadia. Yuna had fallen to her knees in agony at what she had seen, unlike Lightning, she did not have the strength to hide her feelings of anguish. Zell had lost all of his fight and was staring at the pile of bodies in horror. Other soldiers were getting violently sick not from the smell but just the trauma of the sight.

Lightning's phone rang, breaking her thoughts, and she brought the thin device to her ear slowly. "Lightning..." she answered.

"Lightning, we need to get all of the survivors we can and get out of here. Now. They were tipped off somehow." She recognized Cloud's voice immediately.

"I know...It's..." she couldn't explain over the phone in the middle of all of this death. "We'll meet you back at the beach in half an hour."

"All right, hurry." Lightning heard him hang up and mastering herself she addressed her unit as calmly as if they were in basic training.

"They're too well prepared. We are to pull back and take any survivors we can with us." Even as she said this, she could see the despair in their eyes. How could there be survivors? For many of them, this was their first real mission and they had no idea this was what it meant to be a Soldier in the Guardian Corps.

"Move out." She led them back through the town as quickly as she could while keeping them relatively out of the line of fire. Never had a mission gone this badly. After a while, they could see the beach and Lightning paused while they passed to make sure all were present and accounted for.

"Let go of me!" a female voice screamed from a nearby alleyway. Lightning knew she had been the only one to have heard it above all of the noises of battle. She didn't hesitate. If anyone could be saved then this mission would not be a failure.

"Zell!" She called and the tattoo-faced man ran back to her, "Get them back on the boats. I'll be along in a minute."

"But, we –" Zell started, searching her face for answers.

"Don't argue." She ordered while her ice blue eyes dared him to disobey. She could hear the struggle getting more distant as if someone was being pulled away.

Zell nodded and reluctantly followed the unit down to the beach. Seeing that they were safe, Lighting immediately ran down the dark, damp cobblestone alleyway. She wasn't too far away because the voices were becoming distinguishable.

"It's a shame this one has to go." A gruff male voice said and a deeper male voice answered, "I know, right! If I wasn't worried about all them L'Cie diseases she's probably carrying we could have some fun!"

Lightning had heard enough, she put on a burst of speed and almost caught up to the voices. Pulling out her gun blade and swinging it open in one fluid motion; she flew around a corner and almost ran into the owner's of the voices. They were two large Galbadian lower ranking soldiers dragging a struggling red-headed woman by the arms.

"Let her go." Pointing her gun blade into the back of the larger man and using a smaller knife, putting the smaller man in a choke hold with the blade to his jugular. The men froze instantly, but she knew they were thinking of a way to escape so she pushed the two weapons harder to their skin.

"Hey now, if we knew you wanted to join the party we would have invited you." The smaller man said with false bravado in his voice. Unfortunately, for him, his shaking voice gave away his fear of the Guardian Corps general.

"I will not repeat myself." Lightning was not in the mood for games and if this woman was the only L'Cie she could save then so be it.

"All right, all right," the larger man let the woman go and it was clear something had to be broken in her leg because all she could do was slide her body on the ground in a position behind Lightning. The Soldier looked down at the woman and was temporarily distracted by the extreme pain in her eyes. Not just physical pain but intense emotional trauma had to have happened to this woman to have such a desperate look. The glance only lasted a second but it was enough for the larger man to aim a punch at Lightning's face. Luckily, she had great reflexes and dodged it easily while "pistol-whipping" him in the back of the head, and kneeing him soundly in the groin. He fell to his knees in pain and his friend, seeing that they were extremely outmatched, grabbed him and they stumbled away as quickly as they could.

"Can you stand?" Lightning asked folding her gun blade but still watching the men's retreating backs. She had made the mistake of allowing herself to be distracted by looking down at the woman before and she wasn't ready to repeat it until the coast was clear.

"I...I don't think so...," the woman was obviously ashamed at admitting this so she tried to get up anyway but her leg simply wouldn't support her. She almost fell to the hard bricks but Lightning was able to throw her arms around the woman's waist and catch her.

"It's okay. I can carry you. Put your arms around my neck." Somewhat reluctantly, the red-head did so, and Lightning bent down and gently scooped up her legs, trying not to cause her anymore pain. After looking into those haunted eyes she couldn't imagine adding to this woman's burden. _But why do I care? She is just a victim. That's all. I'm just doing my job,_ Lightning tried to convince herself, but she couldn't help the anger that still pulsed through her. What had led Galbadia down the path of genocide?

* * *

During the walk to the beach the two women said nothing to each other, but every once in a while the L'Cie would look up at the Soldier. She wondered why this woman had saved her. Who was she? Why was she here? Did she know that she was a L'Cie? She had to. All of these thoughts swirled in her brain but she couldn't help noticing how strong the woman was. The red-head knew she was not that heavy but even walking about a mile down stairs and then through sand had to be difficult with any weight, but the Soldier did not struggle or falter. They approached a military boat and she couldn't believe it. They were the Guardian Corps. They had come to help the L'Cie. _They were just too late_ , she thought bitterly. They made it onto the boat and she could see the other soldiers stand up in surprise but this pink-haired soldier walked right through them into another part of the boat. It looked like a kind of medical room for emergency treatment. There was a solitary bed and that is where she was laid down.

"Rest. We will be at Garden within the hour," the soldier reassured her, but instead of leaving she sat down on a nearby metal bench.

"Who...," but as the question formed in her brain it was gone just as quickly. It was as if now that she was safe everything caught up with her: the pain in her leg, the horror of watching her friends being murdered, the pure exhaustion of the past weeks. Looking over at the pink-haired soldier she knew she was all right now and with this thought her eyelids slid closed and everything grew dark.


	2. The Infirmary

Vanille was forcefully awoken by a searing pain in her leg. She bit back a scream as her eyes shot open and were immediately met with unfamiliar brown ones.

"It's okay. I'm going to heal you. Just relax." The woman who owned the chocolate brown eyes put a gentle hand on Vanille's shoulder. She didn't know why but she automatically trusted this woman with long, dark hair and a soothing smile.

"I'm Rinoa, by the way. You had a nasty break in your leg but I've set it back into place," Rinoa motioned to Vanille's leg which was now in a sort of cast. Then she stood up and walked over to a nearby cabinet where she pulled out a small glass bottle. Rinoa was thin and a normal height, but the long blue cardigan she wore made her look taller.

"Here, drink this. It'll speed up the healing process. If you drink a few of these throughout the day you should be able to walk by tomorrow morning," Rinoa explained handing Vanille the bottle of clear liquid. Feeling like this woman was trustworthy; she sat up and downed the potion in one gulp. It was tasteless like water but it was strangely warm going down her throat. She put the bottle down on a bedside table and took a good look at her new surroundings.

Vanille could remember being brought to a Guardian Corps boat, but she most certainly was not on a boat anymore. The room she was in looked to be like a hospital room, there were numerous beds and medical supplies but she and Rinoa were alone and all the other beds were empty.

"Where am I?" Vanille finally spoke up and asked. Her voice was still scratchy from sleep despite the potion, but it didn't hurt to speak, thankfully. Then she remembered she hadn't properly introduced herself, "Sorry, my name is Vanille."

"Well, Vanille, you are in Balamb Garden. Do you remember how you got here?" Rinoa sat down on Vanille's bed in order to answer the many questions she was sure this red-head had for her.

Vanille wracked her memory and a woman with pink-hair and striking blue eyes flooded her brain.

"A pink-haired woman carried me onto a Guardian Corps boat and... I can't remember anything after that." Vanille admitted, searching her mind for anything else she could drag out of her mind.

"General Farron brought you here from the boat a few hours ago. She said she'd back in the afternoon to check on you." Rinoa thought it odd that Lightning would come back and check on a victim since she never did so before but she didn't tell Vanille this fact. Maybe Lightning needed information from her?

Rinoa had been surprised to see the General carrying the red-head in here an hour ago. After all, there were stretchers on the boat and she was pretty sure there were capable medics there as well.

"Well, I think I'm going to let you rest. I'll be in the office down the hall. If you need anything just pick up that phone and you'll automatically connect to my office phone," Rinoa pointed to a small black phone on the bedside table, "I'll be back in the afternoon to give you your potion. Try to get some more sleep." Rinoa gave her a friendly smile and walked to her office.

Vanille was left alone. There wasn't really anything she could do and she wasn't tired anymore in the slightest. Rinoa seemed nice enough and the Guardian Corps had saved her life after all. She had been certain she was being taken off to be killed like all of her other friends but that pink-haired woman saved her. _General Farron_ , Vanille thought how she had been lucky enough to have been rescued by a top Soldier in the Guardian Corps.

Having nothing better to do, Vanille closed her eyes and thought of the woman who had saved her. Her short, pink hair was wispy and looked incredibly soft which offset her cold blue eyes. Their eyes had only met for a second but Vanille could see something in the woman's eyes. _Concern? For me? Yea, right._ Vanille shook this thought away. Someone as high ranking as a General was merely doing their job and not concerned with the thoughts of a L'Cie.

* * *

Lightning had no idea what went wrong with this mission. Squall, Cloud, Tidus, and she had spent hours in the war room trying to figure out how the Galbadians could have found out about their plan to invade. After all their discussion they could not come up with answer so they decided to finish it tomorrow so they could all get some rest.

Most of the lower ranking soldiers were being debriefed on the failed mission by captains and sergeants but Cloud, Tidus, and Lightning no longer had any need to be debriefed after all of the things they had seen in their careers.

"You better go find Yuna. She was still pretty shaken up on the boat back," Lightning informed Tidus. He glanced at her and gave her a small nod in appreciation and took his leave. Everyone claimed Lightning was emotionally void but he and Cloud knew that she could be remarkably perceptive when she wanted to be.

"I think I'm going to go be with Tifa. Are you going to be all right?" Cloud knew the answer to his question before he asked it. He and Lightning had known each other for a while now and he was well aware that she would never betray her feelings to anyone. Not even her closest comrades.

"I'm fine," was all she said. Cloud gave a knowing smirk and took the elevator down as well. He knew she wanted to be alone so he didn't bother holding the elevator door for her.

After Cloud had gone Lightning walked up to the elevator and pushed the down button. In truth, she was tired, exhausted even, but she needed to do one more thing before she went back to her room.

Having taken the elevator to the first floor she strode purposefully to the Infirmary so that no one would try to engage her in conversation. It usually wasn't a problem but it was better to be safe and walk quickly.

She arrived and peaked into the window of Rinoa's office to see that she was busy, but as she made to pass the office Rinoa looked up and waved her in. Reluctantly, Lightning entered the small office.

"Hey Lightning, come to see the survivor?" Rinoa asked glancing up at the General.

"Yes, is she awake?" Lightning thought it would be nice if she were still asleep so she wouldn't have to engage in conversation.

"I think so. Could you do me a favor and take her afternoon potion to her?" Rinoa asked holding out the small bottle to Lightning.

"Okay," Not in the mood to argue, Lightning took the offered glass bottle and made her way down the short hall. She could see the red-headed woman lying on a nearby bed looking surprisingly peaceful.

Lightning stopped beside her bed and gazed down at the L'Cie woman. From her steady breathing, it seemed she was indeed sleeping, so Lightning took the moment to study her features. She was young, that much was clear; late teens or early twenties probably. She was wearing a loose fitting, blue hospital gown that looking terribly uncomfortable. The woman was very thin; she had probably been in hiding for a while in order to avoid the same fate as all of the other L'Cie. Her red hair was very curly and bangs fell softly on her forehead.

"Is that for me?" Lightning had been distracted and hadn't noticed the woman open her forest green eyes until she heard her voice. Hiding her surprise, Lightning nodded her head and handed the woman the bottle. Watching her down it, she could almost see the woman regaining her strength. She sat up and looked Lightning right in the eye.

"You're the one who saved me,..," it wasn't a question, but a statement, but regardless Lightning felt the need to reply.

"Lightning," she said with a nod of her head.

"Vanille," the red-headed woman replied with a small smile. Lightning wondered how she could smile after everything that had happened to her.

Vanille wanted to ask this Lightning woman so many questions. Getting the same feeling, Lightning caught this and redirected instead.

"Did those men break your leg?" It was just a diversion so this woman wouldn't start thanking her and all that, but if she was honest, she was relatively interested in this woman's story.

"Yea, I was struggling too much so the big guy stomped on it," Vanille replied gazing down at her hands ashamed of her weakness. How could such a strong woman like Lightning sympathize with her? She had incapacitated that big man in under a second without even trying, yet Vanille had the feeling that she could have done much worse but had restrained herself.

Lightning nodded looking down at the cast on Vanille's leg. She didn't want to have to bring up all of these traumatic memories already, but it was unavoidable.

"Were there anymore of you?" There was no easier way to ask it, so all Lightning could do was stare her in the eyes in an attempt to reassure her.

"I...I think I was the... the last one...," Vanille trailed off. She didn't want to cry in front of this powerful woman. She already had appeared so weak.

Lightning didn't know what to do. She wasn't exactly the best at comforting people, but after what she saw today she couldn't ignore the pain Vanille must be feeling. To have one's friends and family all decimated in a matter of days, to be discriminated against simply for your nationality, these are things Lightning could try to empathize with though.

"You're safe now," unsure if it was appropriate, Lightning reached down and rested her hand on Vanille's. She could think of nothing else to say. What do you say to someone who has suffered so much. _It'll be ok?_ What if it won't be okay? It may never be okay and Lightning was unwilling to lie to this woman.

Vanille looked down at their hands; Lighting's in a fingerless glove and hers, pale and bare. It was a simple gesture but Vanille could feel the gravity of a caring gesture coming from this stoic soldier.

Removing her hand, Lightning turned around and made to leave the Infirmary without another word.

"Thank you," was all Vanille could manage. She wanted to call her back, ask her more questions, anything to keep the security she felt with this woman around.

Lightning paused, nodded to Vanille in recognition of her gratitude and continued out the door.


	3. The Quad

"All right, looks like your leg is pretty much healed. You shouldn't do anything too strenuous for the next couple of days or you'll aggravate the wound and it won't heal perfectly," Rinoa was reciting as she took off Vanille's cast.

The red-head shifted her leg around to test it and it seemed strong enough. It certainly didn't hurt anymore.

"Um...Rinoa?" Vanille hesitantly tried to get the woman's attention. When she looked up, Vanille continued, "Do you have any clothes I can borrow?" She didn't want to wear her dirty ripped outfit she had been wearing in Galbadia, nor this hospital gown while at Balamb Garden.

"Oh, don't worry, I asked Selphie to bring some down for you, since you two are about the same size," Rinoa turned around and lifted said clothes off of the bedside table. They looked to be a simple pair of jean shorts and a light blue tank top.

"Could you tell her 'thank you' for me?" Vanille asked. The generosity of these people was something she was unaccustomed to. Living in Galbadia, a L'Cie was lucky to be ignored rather than threatened, but never in the few years she had lived there had she been shown kindness.

"You can do that yourself in a few minutes. She's going to be showing you around Garden," said Rinoa as she threw away the remains of the cast, "can you stand up?"

Vanille was fairly certain she could, so she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her bare feet touched the cold linoleum floor which caused her to shiver a bit. Slowly putting her weight on her legs she pushed herself off of the bed. She was a little wobbly at first but that was because she practically hadn't walked in a whole day unless you counted the hopping to the bathroom. Rinoa put a steadying arm on her elbow but after a few steps she was perfectly fine.

"Go ahead and get changed in the bathroom and Selphie should be here soon," Rinoa suggested, letting go of Vanille.

"Thanks, Rinoa," She was deeply grateful for all of the kindness Rinoa had shown her and she hoped it was apparent in her voice.

"Don't mention it and you can call me Rin," She responded giving her a warm smile.

Vanille came out of the bathroom after changing into the borrowed clothes in time to see a young woman with medium length, brown hair that was flipped out talking animatedly with Rinoa. Almost as soon as Vanille had stepped out of the bathroom Selphie turned to her and started talking a mile a minute.

"Hiya! You must be Vanille! I'm Selphie! Are you ready to go?" Selphie said quickly bouncing up and down in excitement. Not waiting for an answer she grabbed Vanille by the arm and led her, practically skipping, out of the Infirmary.

"No strenuous activity!" Rinoa yelled futilely after them

* * *

"They had to have been tipped off by one of our soldiers. How else would they have known exactly when we were coming? They obviously knew with enough time to execute their...plan," Tidus seethed to Squall. The idea that one of their own had betrayed them and as a result hundreds of people had died was infuriating to him.

"We are all in agreement with that, but that doesn't help us get any closer to discovering who it is," Cloud shot back impatiently. The whole mission had affected everyone negatively. Cloud had not been in the town square but what he had heard was enough to make his blood boil.

Just like yesterday they had discussed who or what had caused them to fail so miserably and, like yesterday, they were no closer to discovering who the double agent could be. It was difficult to admit there was a traitor in their midst because Squall himself had handpicked all of the cadets in Garden. If there truly was a betrayal, as there must have been, Squall felt responsible for allowing that kind of person into the ranks.

"How is the survivor...Vanille, I think her name is?" Squall directed at Lightning, trying to change the subject. He and Rinoa, being a couple, had discussed Vanille at length the previous night, among other things regarding the mission.

"As well as can be expected when you might be the sole survivor of genocide," Lightning answered bitterly. She was just as frustrated as they were, but they had not been to the town square. They had not seen what she and her unit had.

With that comment they all fell silent, not knowing how to respond. After a few moments Squall sighed and addressed them.

"Well, we're not going to be making any progress here today. Next week I will meet with the leaders of the other Gardens and hope that they are willing to help us. The Galbadian government has made it blatantly obvious they will not negotiate or even speak with me. There is talk that the entire L'Cie population in Galbadia has been wiped out, but I believe there may be some still deep in hiding. If that is the case then we cannot turn a blind eye like everyone else," Squall was thoroughly angry at his inability to accomplish anything today but for now, there was nothing they could do.

"You can go," Squall dismissed them with a frustrated sigh, "and have a good weekend."

Lightning was relatively surprised at how this mission had affected Squall. Usually he didn't show his emotions like this, but it was harder to do in such an extreme case like this. After heading down the elevator, the three generals went their separate ways. Lightning had no place to be or any significant other to be with, so she was unsure how to spend the rest of the day. They had all expected there would be so much to do since they had anticipated many L'Cie refugees to be staying at Garden. Galbadia had made sure there were no refugees save for one.

She had nothing better to do and she figured it was at least part of her duty, so she headed down to the Infirmary. _I'm just checking on her as part of my job,_ Lightning thought to herself, but when she got to the Infirmary Rinoa and Vanille were not there. She knew Rinoa was probably already with Squall, but where would Vanille go? She did not know her way around. Would she be able to find her way back? What if the traitor discovered her?

_It doesn't matter. She's safe in Garden, there is no need to be concerned,_ despite these thoughts Lightning walked quickly out of the Infirmary and headed to the cafeteria. There was an unfamiliar feeling in the General's chest; it felt tight as if she had to work twice as hard to breathe. What was the matter with her? Vanille was fine. She was probably just getting a hot dog or something. The feeling didn't go away. Why was she feeling like this? She was a general in the Guardian Corps; a stray woman walking around Balamb Garden was not something to get worked up about.

Just as she was beginning to get pissed off at her inability to control her thoughts or emotions, she saw the red-head across the room. She was indeed getting a hot dog with Selphie and Zell. They were seated at a far table and Zell and Selphie seemed to be having a conversation while downing half of the school's hot dogs by the looks of it. Vanille was facing away from Lightning so she hadn't yet noticed her presence. Finally, Lightning's lungs were able to expand properly and relief flooded through her. Anyone merely glancing at her would have had no idea the emotions that had been plaguing her, but to Lightning it felt as if her heart was betraying her weaknesses for all to see.

It no longer felt safe to approach the red-head. What other feelings would she have? What if she couldn't control them? Lightning mentally reprimanded herself; she was being ridiculous. Making her decision, Lightning strode purposefully toward the trio.

"I see you're feeling better," Lightning said to Vanille's back. Startled, the red-head jumped in her seat and turned around quickly. Once she saw who it was she visibly relaxed, placing a hand to her heart in an attempt to slow it down.

"Geez, you scared me!" Vanille exhaled, smilingly at the soldier, "Yea, Selphie and Zell are giving me a tour of Garden. We haven't made it past the cafeteria yet."

"And you never will with these two," Lightning retorted, looking disapprovingly at the pair who were oblivious to her presence since they were too busy stuffing their faces. It must be difficult to have a conversation around a mouthful of hot dog but they both seemed to be able to understand each other. Vanille giggled at her joke and once again an unfamiliar feeling took over Lightning. This one was more pleasant but also much more foreign to her. All Lightning knew was that making Vanille smile felt good. _But why? I couldn't give a crap if anyone else smiles,_ being around this red-head was starting to become increasingly confusing.

"Then maybe _you_ should show me around," Vanille suggested innocently. Selphie and Zell were really funny but they were preoccupied and Vanille couldn't deny that she wanted to spend more time with the mysterious General.

Lightning looked straight into Vanille's forest green eyes. Did she honestly want to spend time with her? Most people who met Lightning were either intimidated or were turned off by her frigid personality.

After such a long pause with no response, Vanille quickly backtracked.

"I'm sorry. You must be really busy...," She trailed off without looking up at Lightning.

"There's really not much to see, but I could show you the quad I guess," Lightning

replied thoughtfully. She didn't even have to look at Vanille to see the grin spreading across her face. _There's that feeling again._

"Lead the way, General Farron," She mock saluted Lightning, which awarded her with a curt nod.

* * *

"So, who plans the Garden Festival every year?" Vanille was stretching out her legs and leaning back on her palms in the bright sun. Lightning had brought her to the quad which seemed to be a popular spot for the cadets. Upon seeing Lightning though, most had made themselves scarce.

"Usually Selphie, so watch out for her. She'll ask you to be part of the Festival Committee when you least expect it," Lightning explained, sitting with her elbow on one bent knee while her other leg dangled off the side of the stage for the Festival.

It felt a little strange to be talking like this to a complete stranger. For some odd reason it felt comfortable speaking freely with this woman. Lightning glanced sideways at her; she had apparently borrowed clothes from someone, probably Selphie judging by the amount of skin that was showing. Her hair was pulled into two wavy pigtails but her bangs still fell in her face. She looked peaceful; sitting there in the sun. _How was that possible with all she had been through?_ Lightning had no idea.

This L'Cie woman was strange; she seemed so innocent but she had seen so many things. She still trusted people despite how she had been treated in the past. The same could not be said for Lightning.

Vanille's eyes slid closed and she just basked in the sunlight. It felt so good to be somewhere secure. She hadn't felt safe in a long time, but just being in the presence of this powerful woman made her feel as if nothing bad would ever happen again. A question came to her mind but she didn't know if it was too personal to ask. Deciding to risk it she looked at the pink-haired woman and asked,

"Is Lightning your real name?"

Lightning's eyes snapped onto Vanille's. _Why is she asking me this question?_ Looking into her eyes, she could see that the woman meant no harm; she merely wanted to get to know her better. She liked this woman but she didn't know if she was ready to share all of her secrets with her just yet. Ignoring the question entirely, Lightning told her,

"I'll be right back," and strode back inside.

_I am such an idiot! That was none of my business. Now I've offended her._ Vanille was ashamed of herself. She shouldn't have pushed the woman to reveal so much about herself so fast. After all, if it wasn't her real name she probably had a good reason to change it.

About fifteen minutes later Lightning returned with a single silver key. Holding out her hand to Vanille, she helped her to her feet and gave it to her.

"To your dorm," was her short explanation and she led Vanille back inside the Garden and to the hall with all the dormitories.

Lightning was nervous for some reason. She felt compelled to trust Vanille completely and open up to her but years of military training and self-seclusion had made her weary of people. Stealing a glance at the red-head, she could tell the woman was upset. Whether it was because she was ashamed for asking her that question or Lightning's response to it, she didn't know. All Lightning knew was that a pain shot through her chest after seeing the woman's sadness. At that moment she made a decision to try and be friendlier to Vanille; she deserved that much after what she had been through.

They eventually stopped in front of a door with the words, 'General Farron' engraved on it in gold.

"This is my room. If you need anything, this is where I usually am," With a jerk of her head she motioned for Vanille to continue following her. The red head was deeply moved that Lightning was willing to show her where she lived and offer any assistance she may need. After another minute of walking, they stopped at a similar looking door but without writing on it.

"This one is yours," Lightning said looking down at her. Vanille was reluctant to go in and leave Lightning but she was sure the woman couldn't spend all day with her. It was starting to get dark anyway and part of Vanille was excited to see where she would be living.

"I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. I hope you know how much I truly appreciate it. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be here, so... thanks," The words had spilled out of Vanille quickly in case Lightning wouldn't give her the chance to finish.

Lightning's heart beat a little harder in her chest as she searched the green eyes. All she could see was sincerity. After a moment's thought she had made up her mind. Leaning forward, she positioned her lips close to Vanille's ear. A little startled Vanille was going to question the pink haired woman but she was temporarily distracted by Lightning's warm breath on her ear.

"Claire," Lightning whispered quietly, "My real name is Claire Farron, but don't call me that in front of anyone," she half-heartedly threatened.

"Claire...," Vanille let them name roll off her tongue. It was such a pretty name, why would she change it? But she had pushed her luck far enough for one night.

"Good night," Lightning turned and walked back down the hall and disappeared into her room. Vanille was too lost in her own thoughts to respond until she was long gone,

"Good night,...Claire."


	4. Balamb

_"Claire...,"_ Vanille could not stop saying the name in her head. She had hardly slept last night due to the thoughts that were bouncing around in her brain. Lightning had trusted her enough to reveal her real name and Vanille was not going to betray that trust. She was more than satisfied to simply repeat the name in her head over and over with a dreamy smile on her face.

All she could think about was a certain pink haired soldier who had been in such close proximity to her last night. Did Lightning know the effect the mere gesture of whispering in Vanille's ear had on her? Just remembering it made a shiver go up her spine. Vanille could remember every sensation from the vibrations of her voice to being tickled by stray wisps of pink hair on her cheek.

She was laying on her back on her bed in her new dorm staring at the ceiling. The room was small but it was perfect compared to the squalor she had to endure while in hiding in Galbadia. Thinking about that only left her feeling grateful that the Guardian Corps had decided to intervene... _and Lightning._

It was a Saturday and Vanille had no idea what cadets did on the weekend. _What I really need is some clothes,_ she thought, sitting up on her bed. Where do they get clothes? From what she was told, the town of Balamb wasn't too far away, but she wasn't sure where exactly it was. Considering something for a moment, she got up, grabbed her key, and walked out of the door stilled dressed in Selphie's borrowed clothes. Walking down the hall she contemplated whether this was a good idea. She stopped in front of General Farron's door; she raised her hand to knock but paused.

_What if she's tired of me? I don't want her to think I'm annoying and needy_ , Vanille thought slowly lowering her hand and looking at the floor in thought.

"Are you all right?" a familiar female voice asked. Vanille swung her head around so fast it was a wonder she didn't get whiplash.

"You are going to give me a heart attack if you keep sneaking up on me like that!" Vanille smiled at the soldier.

"I'll make sure I stomp next time," Lightning retorted and she couldn't help but smirk at the red head. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh no, I just wanted to see what you were up to...," Vanille trailed off looking glancing timidly up at Lightning who didn't manage to cover her surprise in time. _Does she not have any friends who visit her?_

"I was just down at the Training Area," She did not volunteer any more information, but looked at expectantly at Vanille. Taking in her appearance, Vanille did notice a very thin layer of sweat glistening on the bare parts of Lightning's arms. Momentarily distracted, she let her eyes travel over the skin stretched tight over Lightning's toned biceps and wondered if they were as hard as they looked. Shaking these thoughts out of her head and gathering her courage, Vanille forced out a rushed request,

"I-was-just-wondering-if-you-were-busy-because-I-kinda-need-some-new-clothes-and-I-was-wondering-if-you-could-take-me-into-town-so-I-could-get-some-but-if-you-can't-then-that's-totally-cool-I-mean-you're-a-general-so-you-must-have-more-important-things-to-do-than-." At that moment Lightning had put a soft hand onto her lips, silently compelling her to stop her tangent.

"Sure, let me ask Cloud if we can borrow his bike," Lightning responded, not betraying any emotions. Removing her hand, she walked a few doors down and knocked on a door across the hall. A spiky haired man answered with a toothbrush in his mouth looking shocked to see the pink haired woman. Vanille shifted to hear what was being said but she couldn't make it out.

* * *

"Give me the keys to your bike," Lightning demanded under her breath. Of course, she could get a vehicle for the short trip, but it was a nice day and she had her reasons for wanting to take a motorcycle there.

"K, Juss a sec," Cloud mumbled through the toothpaste in his mouth. He had learned through many years of experience not to question Lightning, plus she was technically a higher ranking soldier than him according to Squall. Disappearing for only a moment, he quickly returned with a shiny set of keys that had a keychain in the shape of the wolf's head attached.

Grabbing them, Lightning gave a quick nod of thanks to Cloud and walked away.

"That was super nice of him," Vanille gushed, looking back at the door Lightning had just left.

"Yes it was," Lightning agreed with her. Honestly, Cloud had no choice in the matter but she was beginning to care what Vanille thought about her. Why? She didn't know.

The General led her around the loop of Garden until they arrived at the parking lot. The motorcycle was easy to find since it was the only one and it was rather large. A thought had occurred to Vanille as they had entered the parking lot.

"Lightning, when you...when I was brought into Garden, wasn't it by boat? How does Garden have a boat ramp and a parking lot too?" Vanille asked, thoroughly confused. Handing Vanille a pair of sunglasses for eye protection that she found in a storage compartment, Lightning thought of the best way to answer.

"Well, Balamb Garden can actually move. In order to be closer to Galbadia it was moved into the sea and thus we built a temporary boat ramp for the mission. Normally, Garden is situated here, entirely on land near the town of Balamb so we have a permanent parking lot."

"It can move?" Vanille was awed by this. Images popped into her head of this massive military base/school flying over the ocean; she wished she had been conscious to see it move.

"Only when the controls aren't broken," Lightning commented sarcastically. Placing another pair of sunglasses on her eyes, she swung her right leg over the bike, nudged the kickstand up, and started the engine. After revving it a little with a couple of flicks of her wrist, she turned her gaze to Vanille.

"Coming?" Lightning questioned, looking at her own reflection on Vanille's sunglasses. The red head looked unsure and even a little apprehensive at the thought of getting on the bike. Sensing her fear, Lightning attempted to reassure her, an act that did not come naturally.

"It's not far," Vanille still looked unsure so being uncharacteristically sensitive she offered, "I'll go really slowly, or if you prefer, we can take a car?"

"No, no, no! I want to ride the bike... I've just never been on one, that's all." Vanille stilled looked a little nervous but she quickly threw her leg over the bike and scooted as close to Lightning as possible. Wrapping her arms around the soldier's waist, Vanille immediately felt better. She could feel the steady rise and fall of Lightning's back as she breathed, and Vanille trusted her completely.

* * *

Lightning turned her head and her voice rose over the noise of the engine,

"Are you ready?"

Vanille pressed her cheek into Lightning's shoulder and simply nodded in response. Feeling the gesture, she put it in gear and she gently let the clutch out. Giving it some gas, Lightning pulled out of the parking lot smoothly and as slow as she could go while keeping the bike upright. Despite this, the woman behind her tightened her grip on her waist, nearly knocking the wind out of Lightning.

Once they were out of Garden and onto the road, Lightning gave it more gas but never went over 35mph. She drove more carefully than she had in her whole life. This woman had put her faith in Lightning to get her there safely and that's was what she was going to do.

It was only a ten minute drive to the town of Balamb, but Lightning was painfully aware

of every second. The feeling of Vanille's slim arms around her middle was extremely distracting, not because she had her in a death grip but because being this close to Vanille was... _nice_ , Lightning thought to herself.

Too soon they were parked and Vanille let go of her and hopped off. _There's always the trip home,_ this thought placated the General somewhat. For once, Vanille was too excited to follow Lightning and ran ahead towards a clothing shop. Watching from behind, Lightning witnessed the utter glee on the woman's face and then saw it disappear just as quickly.

"What's the matter?" Lightning asked after she caught up; she was concerned about her sudden change in mood. _Concern...why do I always care how this woman feels?_ Forcing the thoughts out of her mind she hesitantly placed a hand on Vanille's shoulder.

"I just realized. I don't have any money," her face was so crestfallen when she said this, "I'm sorry I wasted your day for this."

Did Vanille honestly think that Lightning would not let her have some money?

"Here, I hope this is enough. It's all I have on me," Lightning told her, pulling out a wallet and handing her a few hundred Gil.

"I can't...," Vanille started, looking at the money in her hand. This was too much.

"Take it, you'll pay me back when you're all settled," Lightning insisted, even though she had no intention of ever letting Vanille pay her back.

"Lightning, thank you so much. You have been so incredibly nice to me. I don't know where I would be if it wasn't for you...," the red head meant every word, but she had a good idea where she would be if it had not been for Lightning. Smiling gratefully at her, Vanille walked into the store, when she was out of ear shot Lightning whispered truthfully to herself,

"Me either,"

After Vanille had tried on numerous outfits and bought a whole wardrobe, the sun had begun to set. She and Lightning made their way to the motorcycle. Putting the bags in the compartment where Cloud's swords normally went they hopped on with much less fuss than last time. Vanille realized that Lightning... _Claire..._ was a woman of her word and would keep her out of harm's way.

The same thrill shot through Lightning when Vanille's hands gripped her waist. She must have gotten a bit braver because she no longer clung to her for dear life, which disappointed Lightning only a little. She didn't want the woman to be scared but she missed the feeling of her pressed up against her back.

Too soon they were back in Garden's parking lot and making their way to the dorms weighed down with bags. They reached Vanille's room, opened the door, and Lightning deposited the bags she was carrying on Vanille's bed. It wasn't too late but the darkness made it feel like it was.

"Do you want to see my room?" Lightning asked quite impulsively. _Where did that come from? I didn't mean to say that. 'Do you want to see my room?' I sound like a little kid_ , she internally berated herself.

"Sure, I'd love to," Vanille hadn't hesitated at all. Truthfully, she was curious what kind of room a General got to live in. Momentarily shocked by Vanille's response, she quickly recovered and said,

"All right, let me just give Cloud his keys back," she knocked on his door and a second later he was there in his pajama's which consisted of long blue pants with chocobos on them and a plain white shirt.

"Here are your keys," she shoved them back in his hand and she was about to turn around when he looked knowingly at her. Having fallen in love with Tifa, he knew what the symptoms were and Lightning had it bad.

"How'd it go?" he asked casually. He wasn't about to divulge what he knew, like she would listen to him anyway.

"What?" Lightning was not in the mood for a chat right now; at least not with him anyway.

"You're date," Cloud teased, looking innocently at her but on the inside he felt smug.

Lightning narrowed her eyes at him. _He's just messing with me,_ she told herself, _trying to get under my skin._

"Give Tifa back her pants, Cloud," she shot, turning her back on him and making her way back to Vanille. Frowning, he closed the door; in the safety of his dorm he checked the tag and muttered an expletive to himself.

Lightning unlocked her door and held it open for Vanille. They didn't get very far in when Vanille complained,

"This is so not fair."

"Just be happy you don't have a roommate. Most cadets do, but you're a guest so you lucked out," Lightning pointed out, amused by the woman's reaction. Her place wasn't huge but compared to the one room dorm Vanille was in, this looked like a mansion. It really wasn't a dorm as much as an apartment.

Lightning gave her a quick tour and then was unsure of what to do. What was she thinking inviting her in here? There wasn't anything to see or do here.

"You're place is really nice, but you deserve it for everything you do,... Claire," Vanille had taken a risk, but they were behind closed doors and she had longed to feel the name escape her lips all day.

For some reason, instead of being mad or surprised, Lightning simply felt happy. The sound of her real name, something she kept so close to herself, rolling off Vanille's tongue sounded so...right.

"Thank you, Vanille," that was the first time she had said her name out loud. It felt good. Chancing a look at the red head, Lightning could see her face starting to match her hair. _Why was she blushing? Was she embarrassed? Had she made her uncomfortable?_

After a few moments reality had come back to them and Vanille made for the door,

"I should go. Sorry for kidnapping your whole day," she apologized, smiling sheepishly.

"I enjoyed it," the soldier assured honestly. Just as Vanille's face was returning to a normal shade, this comment made it come back with a vengeance. Unable to respond, Vanille gave her a small, embarrassed smile and left. Lightning was unsure but she thought, _did I just hit on her?_


	5. The Traitor

"Lightning?" upon hearing her name, the General snapped her head up to attention to see who was speaking. Squall was looking at her expectantly as if he was waiting for a response to a question.

"Sorry, what did you say?" she said clearing her throat. The truth was that she had been thinking about Vanille again. She had to stop doing this, it was affecting her work now and that was unacceptable. After spending Saturday with Vanille, Lightning had spent all of Sunday reliving it in her mind, but the day dreams had continued on into Monday. Spending time with Vanille was not only confusing but her job was suffering as a result. _What's the matter with me? I'm the highest ranked soldier here yet I can't block this woman out of my head for a few minutes to do some work._

"I asked you if you had any leads on who the traitor is," Squall repeated giving Lightning a look of concern. All morning she had been acting strangely; normally she was all business but today she seemed miles away and unfocused.

"No, sir, Not yet," Lightning reluctantly admitted. She castigated herself for not focusing more on that task, after all, one of the reasons Vanille had been in so much danger was because someone had betrayed their plans. Thus, Galbadia tried to exterminate the L'Cie as quickly as possible.

"That's to be expected. We'll find them," Squall promised, trying to ease her mind. After all these years he knew how personally Lightning took her work, and the idea of not knowing the identity of the betrayer was probably killing her inside. Addressing all of them- Cloud, Tidus, and Lightning- he reminded them,

"The Commander of Trabia Garden will be here tomorrow. I need her to agree to help us, so please be on your best behavior."

"Oh, come on, we're always on our best behavior," Tidus teased, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head looking smug.

"Right..., anyway," Squall continued, unconvinced, "from what I've been told from our informants, Galbadia Garden is forcing every able-bodied person to go into soldier training."

"Shit!" Tidus exclaimed sitting up straight, hardly believing what he was hearing. Cloud was more subdued but still shocked,

"We will be fighting against...children?" This made the situation much more difficult.

"Unfortunately...yes," Squall confirmed, just as torn as they were, "so we must try to intervene with only the most minimum amount of force necessary."

"Understood," Lightning replied for them all. She was disappointed and angry with herself for not making this her number one priority. Vanille deserved to have her tormentors answer for what they had done, but the thought that some were mere children was a hard pill to swallow.

"All right, on a happier note, I also need all of your opinions on these cadet applications. We have a few here that seem like pretty good candidates," and they started to go through them one by one together.

Most were approved, such as Hope Estheim, but this was just the initial phase of the process. All approved candidates would also be put through an interview and written test.

"And lastly, we have Vanille Dia Oerba-," Squall began but was cut short by Lightning.

"What?" She didn't even try to cover up her surprise. Why did Vanille want to be a soldier? Vanille was innocent and probably had never hurt anyone in her whole life. Why start now?

"Vanille...our L'Cie guest... she is applying as a combat medic and I don't see why not," Squall explained, eyeing her suspiciously. Something was going on with Lightning.

"Cloud...Tidus, may I speak with Lightning alone for a moment?"

"Busted!" Tidus yelled pointing at Lightning, laughing to himself. Cloud shook his head sadly at the young blonde, stood up, and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. Dragging Tidus out of the room, Cloud glanced from Squall to Lightning and then left silently.

"Regardless of the fact that you're the most skilled soldier I've ever seen, you are also the most dedicated and reliable," Squall began, "but you're not yourself lately. I'm not going to insult you by asking you what's going on, but I really need you focused on this."

She had known Squall a long time and never had she heard him speak so frankly to her. It made her that much angrier for letting herself become distracted by a woman she hardly knew. Picturing Vanille in her brain with her shy smile, Lightning sighed looking down. It wasn't the red head's fault that Lightning couldn't control her thoughts.

"Yes, sir," Lightning affirmed solemnly, stoic as ever. Squall didn't even bother asking her to call him by his name anymore; experience had told him that she would never listen.

"Thank you. You're dismissed, please send the others back in," said Squall not meeting her ice blue stare. Nodding in confirmation, she stood up and left without looking back.

About an hour or so later, Lightning strode into the Training Center and swung out her gun blade in one fluid movement. After her frustrating day she was out for blood, literally. She rushed at the nearest monster without hesitation. What she liked about fighting was that she didn't have to think about complex things like emotions. All she had to focus on was surviving and nothing else.

* * *

Unable to do much else, Vanille had decided to spend her Monday exploring Garden. It was such a beautiful place when you had the time to really look at it. Walking amidst all of the cadets hurrying to their classes, she noticed that most people here had to wear uniforms; the cadets wore blue ones with silver trim and the soldiers wore black with blue on the shoulders and much more detail.

Letting her mind wander, she wondered why Lightning didn't have to wear a uniform as everyone else did. Every time she had seen the woman it had been in a light colored, short trench coat looking thing with a zipped up brown turtle neck underneath. A cape hung off of one of her shoulders and she also wore a very short brown skirt that showed off her long legs.

_Stop_ , Vanille had let her mind travel all over Lightning's body. If the General knew what she was thinking she would not be too pleased, but it was difficult not to notice her lean, soldier's body. Shaking the thoughts out of her head she continued down the hall towards nowhere in particular.

She took a long break in the Quad where she watched a large group of cadets circled around a game of cards. She had no idea how the game worked but it seemed to be exciting from the reactions of all of the people. Vanille smiled up at the sky happily basking in the sun; she could get used to living here. Everyone seemed so friendly to her despite the fact that she was a L'Cie, but did they all know? She was sure they did since it was a pretty major mission that brought her here. Being treated like everyone else was so refreshing.

After visiting the cafeteria for a late lunch, she decided to visit the library, a place she had yet to see. Perusing the shelves, she came across a book about combat medics and she picked it up intending to check it out.

When she filled out the cadet application she was certain that she was doing the right thing. _I may not be as strong as them, but I will not let them fight on my behalf,_ " Vanille reminded herself determinedly. Heading up to the desk to checkout, a girl with a pig tail looked at her expectantly.

"Do you have a student ID?" the girl asked her impatiently.

"No, sorry," Vanille felt so stupid.

"If you don't have an ID you can't check out books," the girl informed her. Grabbing the book off of the counter, Vanille walked over to a nearby chair and sat down. She had nothing better to do so she might as well stay here and read it.

Losing track of the time, Vanille didn't realize she had been sitting there so long until she heard the loud speaker announcing curfew. Technically, she wasn't a cadet but she still felt that the rules applied to her so she put the book back where she found it. Memorizing the place where it was so she could find it again, Vanille turned and walked out of the library. As she made her way around the halls towards the dormitories she had an uneasy feeling. The halls were already clear and it was a little creepy being in this huge place alone.

It happened so fast. One second she was passing the parking lot corridor and the next she had been dragged into it and thrown roughly. She was temporarily blinded by white light from the force of her head hitting the solid wall. Before she could completely regain her vision she felt a sharp pain in her leg as she was pinned in place by a hand on her throat.

A red headed male figure swam in her vision as she grabbed at the hand holding her.

"Thought you'd escaped, huh?" he teased her maliciously. He tightened his hold on her windpipe and she struggled to breath, choking noises escaping her mouth.

"Where's your mark? I bet I know where it is," the man used his other hand and trailed it up her leg. Disgusted, Vanille tried to kick him but her reinjured leg wouldn't obey her.

_Claire, help..._ , was her last thought before she blacked out.

* * *

After a few hours Lightning ran into a T-Rexaur, a monster that many considered the most difficult to defeat in the Training Center. Jumping high into the air she sliced upwards and found her target. The beast roared in pain and snapped his massive jaws at Lightning who easily dodged it. Raising her gun blade to counter-attack, she cut his Achilles tendon and he fell to the ground with a thud that made the ground shake. Looking into the slits of eyes, she folded her gun blade and sheathed it. It was in pain, but it would survive. She just couldn't find the heart to finish him. Standing up slowly, the T-Rexaur debated his next move, finally opting to slink away into the trees.

_Am I losing it? I can't even kill a monster now,_ she thought bitterly to herself. Relatively tired, she decided to call it a day and headed out of the Training Center. As a high ranking soldier she had no curfew but it seemed she was out past everyone else's because the halls were completely empty.

She strode purposefully around the semi-circle that was the main level of Balamb Garden, towards the dorms. Lost in thought, Lightning almost didn't notice the voice speaking in low tones down the corridor for the parking lot. Freezing in her place, about ten feet away from the corridor, she strained her ears to listen to what the voice was saying.

"I said, show me your mark, you L'Cie bitch," a male voice threatened, followed by the sound of flesh hitting flesh, as if someone was being slapped.

_L'Cie...?_ Lightning had heard all she needed. She flew around the corner and the sight that met her eyes made her freeze and her blood turn to ice.

A tall man in a gray trench coat was holding _Vanille_ by the throat, pressing her against the wall with his body. His other hand was in the air, ready to back hand her, but he saw Lightning out of the corner of his eye and halted his action.

Not waiting for explanations, Lightning swung out her gun blade with incredible speed and effortlessly flicked her wrist to turn into a very large hand gun. Not thinking about anything except Vanille's safety she pointed the gun at the man's head, pressing the muzzle into his temple. Being unarmed, the man let Vanille go reluctantly and raised his hands up in a gesture of surrender. Struggling to get air through her bruised windpipe, Vanille slid to the ground gasping for much needed oxygen.

"If you touch her again, Seifer, I will not hesitate to pull this trigger," Lightning practically growled. She had recognized him instantly and should have been less surprised because of his reputation at Garden. The pink haired woman was certain that she'd feel less bad about killing him than that T-Rexaur. Now that the immediate threat was over, Lightning's brain caught up.

"You're the traitor," she stated, realization dawning on her.

"No, you are!" he spat, almost reciting Galbadian propaganda word for word, "L'Cie are a disgusting plague and Galbadia was trying to do the world a favor."

Flaring up in anger she smashed him in the face with the butt of the gun, splattering blood down his face.

"Do not speak again," Lightning demanded kicking him to the floor so that he was as far from Vanille as possible. Taking her eyes off him for a split second she checked to see if Vanille needed immediate medical attention, but she seemed to be catching her breath and mostly just shaken up.

"Lightning, you know where her mark is?" He said managing a vile smirk through the blood, "Her thigh. That means she's a whore, a fucking L'Cie whore."

Never in her whole military career had she ever lost her temper as she did then. Flicking her weapon back into a gun blade she charged at him with the full intent of possibly killing him.

"Don't!" Vanille managed to croak through her air deprived lungs. Her voice alone was one of the only things that could have stopped Lightning and it did. Standing up shakily Vanille limped over to Lightning, having aggravated her leg injury in the struggle. When the soldier saw Vanille get up she held out a hand to steady her which the red head gratefully accepted.

"He has been raised to believe these things, it is not entirely his fault," Vanille reasoned, looking sadly at the bloody-faced man. Lightning couldn't believe her ears. How could this woman be so understanding after everything people like this put her through? _She is so much stronger than me..._ , Lightning thought, awed by this woman's capacity for forgiveness.

While this exchange was going on, Seifer had edged himself away from the wall and closer to Vanille's shaky legs. Figuring he only had one shot he cocked back his leg as far as he could for maximum power. Out of the corner of her eye, the General saw this and using her lightning fast reflexes, grabbed Vanille's small wrist and yanked her to the side. With his foot hitting air and not the red head's leg, Seifer tried to use his momentum to quickly get up, but again Lightning was too fast for him.

Having lost all patience she swung her gun blade swiftly upward and gave him a diagonal cut across his face. He was lucky she had exercised her last bit of restraint and hadn't chopped his whole head off.

Seifer brought a gloved hand to the wound in pain and blood gushed past his fingers and onto the tiled floor. He managed to mutter something that distinctly sounded like 'bitch.'

"I get that a lot," Lightning replied, flipping out her thin cell phone and calling Cloud.

"Lightning, it's midnight. What do you want?" a groggy Cloud answered.

"Get to the parking lot corridor now," she commanded, "and grab Tidus on your way."

Not waiting for a response she hung up and dialed Squall's number, glaring at Seifer and checking on Vanille in intervals while she waited for him to pick up.

"Squall," the Commander answered, sounding just as tired as Cloud had.

"I've got our traitor. Parking lot corridor," having more respect for Squall she allowed him to respond.

"Right, I'm on my way."

Turning back to Seifer's slumped form she used a clean part of his trench coat to wipe her blade which was drenched in his blood. She wanted so badly to make sure Vanille was really all right but she had made the mistake of letting the young woman distract her too many times already.

In record time Cloud and Tidus sprinted towards them, swords in hand. They almost looked windblown from throwing their clothes on so fast. Seconds later Squall launched around the corner looking similarly.

"What- Seifer?" he said disbelieving. This was the man who had been given a second chance already. He had once been expelled, but Squall believed he was changed and allowed him back. Obviously, that had been a terrible mistake.

Feeling her job was done, Lightning folded her gun blade back up and sheathed it. Vanille had collapsed again after the General had moved her out of the way. Her leg was just too weak to support her weight.

Bending down, she easily lifted Vanille into her arms just as she had done a few days ago in Galbadia. Addressing Squall, she asked him,

"Is Rinoa awake?" Squall was watching Cloud and Tidus restrain Seifer as more soldiers arrived for back up.

"No, she was still sleeping when I left. Want me to call her?" Squall offered looking at Vanille who had wrapped her arms around Lightning's neck.

"There's no need. I can handle it," Lightning assured him. As she strode away she could hear the soldiers putting Seifer in restraints and marching him to the elevator. They would probably lock him in an unused classroom until they decided what to do with him.

Lightning didn't care though. Her thoughts were solely on the red head in her arms. All the emotions that she had kept locked up through the encounter were starting to hit her at once. Seeing Vanille in pain again made her angry that she had not been able to prevent it.

Walking into the Infirmary, she gently laid Vanille down on the nearest bed. She had so many questions for her. What had happened before she had gotten there? How did Seifer know where her mark was? All of these would have to wait. Her blood was still burning through her veins, but all feelings of anger quickly evaporated when she looked down at Vanille.

She was in pain, but she was trying so hard not to show it to the soldier. She didn't want to appear weaker than she already had. The young woman sat up in the bed and looked straight into Lightning's sky blue eyes.

A different feeling flooded through the pink haired woman's body. She _cared_ about Vanille. A lot. More than she had for any other person in her life. This realization jolted Lightning back to reality, how had she allowed this to happen?

Trying to distract herself from Vanille's wide green eyes she went and got a potion for her and watched her drink it.

"How is your leg feeling?" Lightning questioned taking a step closer to the bed to search Vanille for wounds. She gently lifted her leg and proceeded to put slight pressure on different parts of it. Momentarily distracted by the feeling of Lightning's hands on her bare skin, she almost forgot she had been asked a question.

"Good," she managed to squeak as Lightning touched a particularly sore spot. Never taking her eyes off of the red head, she gauged her every reaction.

"It doesn't seem to be broken again, but probably overly strained after only being healed a few days ago," Lightning assessed, releasing her leg and softly laying it back on the sheets.

"Claire...I...," not knowing what to say, Vanille simply trailed off. The now familiar thrill rushed through Lightning and for once she didn't try to suppress it.

"Try to get some sleep. I'll make sure Rinoa takes a look at that in the morning," Lightning debated whether to stay or not, but her decision was made for her as she looked into sea green eyes. They were pleading with to stay. Reaching up a hand to Vanille's face, the soldier used the lightest of touches to move the red bangs that were partially hiding her eyes. After realizing what she had done, Lightning should have been embarrassed but for some reason she felt as if there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Will you stay with me?" Vanille almost begged staring into the blue depths of Lightning's eyes. It wasn't just that she didn't want to be alone, but it was more that she wanted to be with her. The General took Vanille's hand and assured her,

"I'll be here." And with that, feeling safe and protected, Vanille allowed her exhaustion to take over and she drifted off to sleep.


	6. The Commander of Trabia Garden

Vanille was slowly awoken by the sound of two women having a whispered conversation.

"Lightning, you need to get some rest. You've been here all night. I can take over from here," offered a voice she recognized to be Rinoa's. Vanille's heart started pounding so hard when she heard her savior's response that she was sure they must hear it. She couldn't stop herself; she wanted to see Lightning so she opened her eyes a crack. Lightning had noticed that Vanille was awake from the moment her breathing had changed but decided to pretend she hadn't for her sake.

"No, I'm going to stay here," the pink haired general stated simply. She liked Rinoa but she was not about to explain why she wanted to stay with Vanille. Seeing that it was pointless to argue, Rinoa shrugged her shoulders.

"If you insist. Her leg should be fine, but just in case give her another potion when she wakes up. And no strenuous activity, seriously this time," Rinoa said, giving her a mock stern look, leaving Lightning with a bottle of potion and closing the Infirmary door.

Folding her arms she merely looked down at the red headed figure. She hated the word but Vanille looked _cute_ laying there with her breathing uneven and her body stiff trying too hard to appear asleep. Shaking her head with an uncharacteristic smirk, she unscrewed the bottle of potion.

"You might as well take this now," She advised, deeply amused by Vanille's jump of surprise at having been discovered. Slowly sitting up, looking guilty at having been caught, Vanille took the bottle and downed it giving Lightning a perfect view of her exposed neck. When Vanille caught her staring it was her turn to feel guilty.

"How'd you know?" the red head asked setting the empty bottle on the bed side table and turning to gaze at the soldier.

"Your breathing changed," Lightning answered as if it was obvious, "Not to mention your eyes were open."

"Oh, oops," Vanille blushed under the ice blue stare the General was giving her. How could she notice something as minute as her breathing? _Unless...she had been listening to it all night._

"If you keep this up they'll have to make me your personal body guard," Lightning mused, folding her arms across her chest again. In truth, she already felt as if it was her job to protect the young woman.

"Sorry..." Vanille lowered her head ashamed at always having to be saved. Lightning probably thought she was weak and couldn't take of herself and maybe she was. Seeing that she had upset the red head, Lightning felt a stab of pain in her chest. This was another feeling she wasn't accustomed to. Sure, she had been in plenty of physical pain in her life but emotional pain was a much rarer occurrence. Lightning hadn't meant to make her feel inferior, if anything this woman was better than herself in so many ways.

Lightning reached out her hand and gently guided Vanille's head back up, so she could look her in the eyes. The pink haired woman had no words for Vanille; she hoped that her eyes communicated everything that she was feeling.

Removing her hand from Vanille's chin, Lightning let it fall to her side limply. Lately, she had spent a lot of time thinking about this woman who had altered her existence in such a short amount time. Every moment she spent with her, just made her want to never be away from her. She knew there was something there, but she didn't know if she was ready to embrace it just yet. There were things that needed to be said and Lightning needed to have the courage to open up. It was looking as if that time would come sooner than she planned.

"Vanille..., will you tell me what happened last night?" she asked trying to be as emotionless as possible. Many images of what could have happened to this woman had plagued her mind all night. She hadn't let herself succumb to sleep for fear; fear that Seifer would somehow come back despite the fact that he was probably being watched very carefully. Throughout the night, Vanille had seemed to be having nightmares, and Lightning would get up from her chair, walk over to the bed, and place her hand on the L'Cie's forehead in an attempt to soothe her sleep. This woman had been through so much. _Why her?_ Lightning thought bitterly.

Vanille didn't break her gaze with Lightning but slowly nodded her head. Taking a deep breath she began,

"I was walking back to my dorm from the library after curfew. When I passed the parking lot corridor...he grabbed me. He choked me and said that he wanted to see my mark," Vanille hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should reveal the next part. Looking at Lightning, she knew that if there was anyone safe to tell it was this woman.

"He touched me," disgusted, she looked away, remembering how he had ran his hand up her leg. Lightning tried desperately to hide her fury for Vanille's sake, but she had to know.

"Did he...do...anything else? I mean, did he...," She struggled to say it, eventually giving up and hoping Vanille understood what she was trying to ask.

"No, you showed up," implying that it might have gone further if not for Lightning. The General released a breath she hadn't been aware of holding and nodded her head in understanding.

"He was right, you know," Vanille continued unprovoked. Lightning raised her head to green eyes that were now swimming with tears. The pain in her chest returned with a vengeance seeing the tears roll down Vanille's cheeks. Not letting her respond, the red head continued,

"My mark is on my thigh. The soldiers in Galbadia..." Lightning wished so much that what she was thinking hadn't happened, but Galbadia was known for putting marks as a way to tell L'Cie apart. The only reason they would put a mark on her thigh was if they used her as a...

"I was one of the lucky ones. Many resisted and were killed. I was only...raped once. He did it, marked me on my thigh to let everyone know, and then let me go. Until the extermination, that is," She had managed to get it all out, but the words brought back the memories and she was struggling to hold herself together.

Unable to hold it in any longer, she let herself cry. Ashamed, she brought both hands to her face to hide her tears.

Lightning had no anger left. Her body had gone weak. Forgetting about everything, she sat on the edge of the bed and guided Vanille gently into her arms. Under any other circumstances, Vanille would have felt elated to finally be here. Burying her head into Lightning's shoulder, she felt the strong arms hold her tighter than she had ever been held.

This was how Lightning knew she was weaker than Vanille. She couldn't have survived something like this. The pain was unbearable just listening to the red head's story. This woman knew how to handle her emotions, no matter how powerful they were. Lightning, on the other hand, just ignored them until they all went away. That was part of the reason she became a soldier and why she was the highest ranked. It was easy to be merciless when you couldn't feel.

Vanille cried for what seemed like hours, but what was probably only minutes. After a while, she slowed to a sniffle, never loosening her grip on Lightning. The soldier said nothing, even if she could, what would she say?

At that moment Rinoa walked back into the Infirmary, and the sight that greeted her stopped her. Lightning's initial reaction was to jump away from Vanille, but she was still needed.

Gazing over Vanille's head, she dared Rinoa to say something about them. Remembering her reason for being there, Rinoa cleared her throat and informed the General,

"The Commander of Trabia is here and Squall wants you to meet her in his office." Lightning had no intention of leaving Vanille here alone, not even to see a superior. Vanille's revelation had made her realize that there were some things more important than work.

"You can tell him that I'm unavailable," Lightning responded firmly, leaving no room for argument.

"You should go," Vanille spoke up, slowly pulling away from the soldier and wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. She didn't want the pink haired woman to get in trouble over her, and they needed the Commander to help them. Looking down at Vanille, Lightning stubbornly replied,

"No, I won't leave you."

"Then I will go see her," Vanille claimed defiantly, getting off of the bed and standing, hiding that her leg was still a little shaky and grabbing her shoes from the floor. Rinoa watched the exchange and smirked. Finally, there was someone who wouldn't take her crap. Had Lightning met her match?

"Wait. You can't. Damn it," Lightning tried to stop her, but she was already out of the door, not concerned at all that she was about to see a Commander in yesterday's clothes with her face read and puffy from crying. Giving up, she simply matched strides with the red head as they took the elevator up to Squall's office. There was still so much to say, yet Vanille seemed to be determined to forget the exchange and force Lightning to see the Commander.

"You do know you weren't invited, right?" Lightning reminded Vanille.

"I know, I don't need—Fang?" the elevator had opened and there was Squall, Cloud, Tidus, and a tall brunette woman with an equally tall blonde man. Vanille had frozen, so Lightning had to quickly guide her out of the elevator before the doors closed.

"Vanille?" The brunette looked equally shocked to see the red head. This woman was definitely not someone to mess with. She was draped in fine blue cloth that wrapped around her toned body and she had a huge black tattoo on one arm and on the other a... _L'Cie mark._

" _You're_ the Commander of Trabia Garden?" Vanille asked incredulously. Obviously these women knew each other, but how was not clear to the others in the room.

"Yea, how...how did you survive the purge in Galbadia?" the two women had drifted closer together and were oblivious to everyone else around them. Vanille smiled, all traces of earlier tears gone, and looked over to Lightning who was watching them with rapt attention, noticing the similarity in the two women's accents.

"General Farron rescued me," she stated simply then continued, "I guess Trabia does not feel the same way Galbadia does about L'Cie."

"No, apparently not," Fang finished, remembering what she was there for. Addressing everyone else in the room, she introduced the blonde man,

"This is General Snow Villiers," she informed them and looking back at Vanille, "I see that you have already done much to help the L'Cie suffering in Galbadia."

"We were hoping you could help us. Galbadia has a much larger Garden and the whole country has been forced into military service in order to fight us. Alone we just don't have the numbers to take them on," Squall got right down to business and felt the truth was the best policy with this intimidating woman. Anyone with a name like Fang was not a person to be trifled with.

"I see. Balamb is a small island nation, yet you have a reputation for your skilled mercenaries. Quality over quantity, hmm?" She replied, eyeing Lightning and Cloud.

"They are our top soldiers but even their skill can't take on all of Galbadia," Squall reasoned, trying to get her to see how dire the situation was. Fang was still staring at them; Cloud standing tall with his overly large sword strapped to his back and Lightning slightly shorter, but no less intimidating with her gun blade in its hand gun form in its sheath behind her legs.

"Of course...You have saved an old friend of mine," she trailed her eyes over to Vanille, "And I want to help you help my people. There is one condition though."

"And what would that be?" Squall was hesitant, what could she possibly want from them? He could have never predicted what she said next.

"I want to see them fight...each other." Fang answered gesturing to Cloud and Lightning. Squall couldn't believe it, and responded incredulously,

"You said you knew how skilled General Farron and Strife are. Is this necessary?"

"Commander Leonhart, I want to help my people and Trabia can't do it without Balamb either. This won't be an easy battle. As I'm sure you're aware of, Galbadia has been using children as cadets. I simply want to see if they are willing to fight against someone who they don't want to hurt. That is the condition," Fang explained, nonchalantly folding her arms.

Squall was speechless. What choice did he have? Looking from Lightning to Cloud, they were their usual stoic selves, not giving away anything. He would ask them, but he would not order them.

"It is up to them," Squall gestured to his two top generals still disbelieving the situation he had been cornered into, and asked, "Do you wish them to hurt each other?"

"Oh, I don't think they'll hurt each other," Fang seemed pretty pleased with herself. Looking at each other, Cloud and Lightning had no doubts; they needed to do this for Trabia's help. Nodding in confirmation, Cloud spoke for them both,

"Where are we doing this?"

Vanille looked nervously at Cloud's huge sword and then to Lightning who seemed unconcerned. Fang was just trying to see if they were really as skilled as everyone said they were, and Vanille knew it.

"I guess the Quad will do," Squall suggested, defeated. Leading everyone to the elevator and around the halls of Garden, Squall cursed himself for allowing this.

Vanille caught up to Fang, who was walking beside Squall, and hissed in her ear,

"What are you playing at? They could get hurt then what good would they be?" The red head was worried about Lightning, but she wasn't about to tell Fang that.

"Many claim that they are the best. I want them to prove it. Don't worry. If anyone is going to get hurt, it's going to be Strife," Fang whispered back, revealing how perceptive she was. Frustrated, Vanille dropped back to talk to Lightning who betrayed no emotion.

"Lightning, you don't have to do this," she pleaded with the pink haired soldier.

"I know. But if she wants a show, then that's what we'll give her," Lightning responded finally letting herself look at Vanille. Only an hour ago, the General had allowed herself be so vulnerable with the young woman and while she wouldn't forget what she had heard, it was time to channel her anger. This was to help the L'Cie in Galbadia; this was to help get justice for Vanille.

"Claire...please," Vanille whispered urgently, hoping that using her real name would bring her back, but the General had closed herself off again.

"I'm sorry, I have to," Lightning told her. Vanille, feeling defeated, trudged along beside her until they were in the open air of the Quad.

No one had noticed when Tidus had left but a few seconds after they arrived, he did too...with what looked like the entire Garden. Seating themselves on the Garden Festival stage, some seemed excited, others were making bets, and then there was the dark haired form of Tifa. She couldn't bring herself to even wish Lightning good luck so she swiftly took the soldier's hand in hers and squeezed before relinquishing it. The red head seated herself next to Tifa and the two women looked at each other worriedly.

"This is gonna be freaking awesome!" Tidus was sitting with an arm slung around Yuna and apparently not worried about the safety of his comrades at all.

"This is insane," Tifa shook her head, watching the people in the center of the Quad.

"This is stupid," Vanille corrected her, focusing her attention on the pink haired woman.

"All right, I'll give the signal," Squall informed, waiting for Fang and Snow to step towards the stage as well.

"Please don't kill each other," he whispered when they were out of earshot. Lightning and Cloud acted as though they hadn't heard him and drew their weapons; Cloud, reaching behind his head for the handle of his massive sword and bringing it down slowly in front of him, and Lightning, swinging her gun blade out and flicking it into a sword. Seeing that they were ready, Squall started his countdown,

"1...2...3...Fight!"


	7. Cloud vs. Lightning

" _1...2...3...Fight!"_

Everyone expected there to be an explosion or a flurry of fighting, but Cloud and Lightning merely circled each other, swords raised and not taking their eyes off of one another.

Years of training had taught them both to wait until their opponent attacked them, but this was different. Someone had to make the first move.

The two pairs of ice blue eyes never faltered, daring the other one to attack first. Having waited long enough, Lightning decided it was time to get this thing going.

Feinting to his right, she drew him out, making him counter-attack with a swipe of his sword, but she was one step ahead of him and swung her gun blade at his unprotected left side.

Cloud saw this in time to turn his huge blade to the side and block the blow causing both their blades to bounce back. Hardly noticing the recoil vibrating her whole arm, Lightning jumped high into the air to avoid a powerful swing from Cloud's sword near her legs. Using gravity, she pointed the tip of her gun blade towards the earth to attack from above. Easily dodging this strike, he used the moment of her impact to aim a strike at her face.

Ducking, Lightning attempted to sweep his leg at the same time, but he jumped back just in time, giving her the opportunity to stand up. They once again carefully circled each other, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

* * *

"Dude, this is intense. My money is on Cloud though," Tidus whispered to Yuna, sitting on the stage in the Quad watching these two soldiers battle.

"I don't know. Lightning is ranked higher, and seems to have him in speed," Yuna observed, not nearly as excited as him about this fight.

"Yea, but Cloud is a powerhouse, I mean check out that sword, it's bigger than Lightning's whole body," he scoffed at the woman's smaller stature.

Vanille and Tifa were a few seats down from them, trying not to hear what they were saying. Tifa was holding onto the edge of the stage and her knuckles were white in her nervousness for Cloud's safety. Vanille was no better off. She was scared seeing how seriously they were fighting, but she couldn't help but be awed by the pink haired woman's graceful fighting style. She jumped through the air, almost defying gravity as she attacked.

Looking over at Fang, Vanille noticed the woman watching the battle intently, only appearing mildly impressed at this point. _What does she want from them?_ Vanille thought, not understanding the purpose of this dangerous battle. A glare of light from a sword hit her eyes and she brought her attention back to the match.

* * *

It was Cloud's turn to start off the action this time around and he did so with a barrage of attacks in succession. Cloud was fast but Lightning was faster, blocking each and every blow with ease. Using each strike as an opportunity to push Lightning back, Cloud put all of his power into each swing. The strain of blocking the forceful blows was beginning to weaken her arms and she needed to change tactics and fast.

Seeing that she was losing ground, the pink haired woman used his power against him. As he brought his sword above his head in another powerful strike, Lightning quickly side-stepped him and felt the air from his sword as it came down where she had just been.

His momentum made him stumble only a second, but it was enough for Lightning to aim a well-placed round house kick to his stomach. The force of the blow threw him back a few feet, but as he fell he quickly did a back roll and was on his feet again.

Having trained with Lightning for many years, he knew that if she disarmed him, the fight might as well be over. Even if she lost her gun blade too; she would win because of her speed and hand to hand combat skills. The only thing scarier than Lightning with a weapon was Lightning without a weapon.

Lighting stared Cloud down and brought her gun blade up in a ready stance. Once again Cloud charged at her, but she jumped into the air to avoid him. He had predicted she would do this and jumped into the air as well.

Lightning had not prepared for this and Cloud was able to catch her off guard, aiming a powerful strike downwards. She was able to put her sword up to block it, but the force of the blow made her plummet to earth.

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Vanille muttered. _Who thought this was a good idea?_ Tidus seemed to be having the time of his life, but Tifa looked like she was going to pass out after Cloud had been hurled back by that kick. Vanille wished she could be more sympathetic but Cloud had been attacking Lightning and he deserved it. What was she thinking? _This was a match between two people who were friends. They aren't really attacking each other._

"Dude, this reminds me of the time Cloud dumped Lightning—Ouch! Hey-," Tidus started but was cut off abruptly by a punch in the side by Yuna.

Vanille and Tifa whipped their heads around at this statement. Seeing Yuna give Tidus the worst death glare ever, they knew their ears hadn't been deceiving them.

"What did you say?" Tifa demanded, looking livid. No one had told her that Cloud and Lightning had dated.

"You are such an idiot sometimes, you know that?" Yuna scolded Tidus who looked pretty ashamed of himself.

"Cloud and Lightning...," Vanille trailed off, not able to process this new piece of information. She was just as shocked as Tifa; for some reason, the thought had never occurred to her that the pink haired woman dated anyone.

"You said it, now you have to tell them," Yuna told him, shaking her head at his stupidity.

"Eh, well, there's not much to tell. They went out for a few months a while back then Cloud left her for...uh...Tifa," Tidus said the last part as quietly as possible but they all caught it.

"But...Cloud...he never...I thought," Tifa stuttered, unable to process this and stared back at Lightning doing battle with her boyfriend.

"Yea...he met you and...well, you know...Lightning was _pissed_ ," Tidus emphasized, digging himself deeper and deeper, "apparently she was more serious about him than he was about her."

Tifa looked like she had been slapped. Apparently Cloud had not volunteered that piece of information when they began dating, or any time after.

"Yea, and to top it off, a week later Lightning's sister ran away to Trabia to marry Snow," Tidus kept blabbing his mouth. This time Yuna felt no guilt in slapping him in the back of the head.

"Why don't you just let the whole world know her private business? If she finds out you said something she will kill you," Yuna gave Tidus an incredulous look as he rubbed the back of his head.

It was Vanille's turn to be stunned. _Lightning has a sister...who's married to Snow?_ The red head chanced a look at the tall blonde man in a gray trench coat that reminded her of Seifer's. Thinking about that man made her shiver a little, but she remembered hearing that he had been taken to a holding facility in Balamb. This man, Snow, did not look like a bad guy; in fact, he looked rather friendly with a black bandana forcing a stray blonde hair into his eyes.

Distracted, she saw Lightning fall to the ground from a blow from Cloud's massive sword and decided to block these thoughts and focus on the fight once again.

* * *

Lightning managed to land on her feet but the speed at which she had fallen caused her to drop to one knee, in order to prevent both kneecaps from being blown out. Not wasting his advantage, Cloud used his decent to earth as an attack opportunity as Lightning had done earlier.

Like he had, Lightning dodged it and went on the offensive. In a burst of speed, she attacked hard and fast. A diagonal cut one way, blocked, a diagonal cut the other way, also blocked; a horizontal swing, upward strike, and a stab, all blocked. Needing more space she did a back flip, and while in the air, switched her blade to the gun and twisted. Managing one shot, which Cloud deflected with his sword, she landed several feet away, her gun already back into a sword.

People who had never heard of her speed would be amazed at what she had just done, but Cloud was more intent on gaining ground again. He ran at her like a train with his sword low at his side ready for an upward swing. When he got close enough he did just that and while she was able to block it from hitting her body, the force of it launched her into the air. Like a cat she managed to land on her feet once again, but she was hardly ready for his next onslaught.

Deciding that this battle had to turn in her favor, Lightning dodged one of his more powerful strikes and watched as his sword hit the concrete of the Quad.

The pink haired General stomped down hard on the side of his sword, causing it to flatten to the ground and Cloud's fingers to be pinched between the metal and the concrete. All of his fingers were trapped making it impossible to let go of the handle. Lightning knew even if he could, he would not relinquish it until he had no other choice.

The woman took advantage of his crouched down state and instead of slicing him open with her gun blade as she would if he was a true enemy, she punched him square in the face. His fingers were ripped away from the handle by the force of it and he fell backwards unarmed.

She hadn't broken his nose like Seifer's, but she was certain that he'd wake up with a black eye tomorrow morning. She kicked away his sword and pointed her gun blade at his heart.

* * *

All of the soldiers and cadets were on the edge of the stage, but no one said anything. They were too dumbfounded to speak. _Had Lightning just won?_ Vanille looked over to Fang, Snow, and Squall; Fang's face betrayed nothing and she was having a whispered conversation with Snow. Squall looked immensely relived that it was all over and no one had been killed.

Vanille's head was still swimming with the new information that she had learned about Lightning. She stared at the powerful frame of the pink haired General who stood with the tip of her blade inches away from Cloud's chest. _What is she thinking right now?_ Vanille wished she could read the soldier's mind or better yet, hear her side of the story instead of finding out from a comrade.

Every time she had seen the two interact she hadn't noticed anything between them; no hostility, no affection, no anything. For some reason, Vanille felt a little sad looking at the two of them. She wished she knew what had happened between them to close Lightning off this much.

She also wondered why Lightning hadn't even acknowledged Snow's presence. Shouldn't she be happy to see her brother-in-law? Fang's voice rang out, halting her thoughts,

"Well done," Fang began addressing Lightning, "now, continue...with Snow." All eyes were on the fierce looking brunette woman and the blonde man beside her. What did she mean? Snow appeared to be unarmed.

Apparently Lightning had understood because she walked over to Vanille. She offered the handle of her gun blade to the red head and merely said,

"Take care of this for me, please." Vanille took the remarkable weapon and searched Lightning's eyes for anything, but they were void of emotion. Without another word she walked back to where Cloud had vacated. Snow stood there now, adjusting the gloves on his hands.

Vanille couldn't comprehend what was going on. Why was Lightning entrusting her gun blade to her? She felt the cold steel in her hand and felt strangely honored that the General had picked her of all people to take care of something so important. Looking up, she saw that they were in position for a fist fight from the looks of it.

* * *

There was no circling this time, just a side stance with fists at the ready. Snow smirked at the pink haired woman and decided to throw caution to the winds and address her,

"Hey, Sis. Fancy meeting you here." He wasn't trying to egg her on but that was exactly what he did. She showed some emotion for the first time that day; unfortunately for him it almost looked like a growl.

"Do not call me that," She hissed, hardly containing her anger now.

_This is what he wants,_ Lightning thought, calming herself and closing her mind off again.

Before he even had a chance to realize what had happened Lightning had aimed a spinning kick to his face. By quickly leaning back he was able to dodge it by mere centimeters, but it was swiftly followed by a back kick to the stomach. This one he hadn't been expecting either and he stumbled back but didn't fall. Seeing that she wasn't messing around he ran at her with a fist pulled back. That was his second mistake. His first had been coming here in the first place.

It was so much easier to take out an opponent who was attacking. They were off balance and all of their force was going in one direction. If it was possible to avoid that force, it could be used against them with minimal effort. Unfortunately for Snow, Lightning had perfected this.

Angling her body to the side, she not only avoided his punch but she tripped him up with her leg. Instead of falling, Snow managed to do a front roll and spin around, just in time to welcome Lightning's elbow into his unprotected face quickly followed by a punch that staggered him. This gave her the time and space to fire a second spinning kick to his head. This time it landed hard on his temple, bringing him to his knees. A thin trail of blood oozed from a cut on the side of his face as he glanced up at her.

"I bet you've wanted to do that for a long time," Snow claimed, smiling sadly.

She had the urge to knee him in the face but she controlled herself. Holding up his hands he admitted defeat reluctantly. There was no point in getting seriously hurt when he knew Lightning would and could do him seriously bodily harm.

Fang looked at them from beside Squall and finally looked impressed. Her best soldier had been easily defeated by their best soldier.

"I think that's enough," Fang concluded, turning to Squall and offering him her hand, "We're with you." Squall gave her a rare grin and shook her hand. Motioning for Snow to follow, they both left without another word.

* * *

Vanille saw the general walking towards her, all emotions hidden again. Upon seeing the pink haired woman, Vanille breathed a visible sigh of relief. Lightning reached out and slowly took the gun blade out of Vanille's hands and folded it back into a gun. Sheathing it, the taller woman silently offered Vanille a hand to help her off the stage. Still full of the information she had learned from Tidus, the red head distractedly let Lightning guide her onto the ground and didn't let go once she was down.

Looking questioningly into Vanille's eyes, the pink haired soldier stood facing her, giving her full attention to the woman. It had only been hours since their conversation about Vanille's past and Lightning was exhausted from not having slept the previous night, but she had to make sure that Vanille was okay.

The cadets and soldiers had continued with their day with a few stragglers here and there. Across the Quad it looked as if Cloud was getting an earful from Tifa and Squall had escorted Fang and Snow to the parking lot. Tidus had made himself conveniently scarce.

Worried about Vanille's silence, Lightning led the normally talkative woman back inside Garden. As they walked, the red head wanted to ask Lightning so many questions, but this wasn't the place.

The soldier guided her wordlessly through the school to the Training Center. Vanille had the urge to ask why they were going there but deciding to trust the woman, she tightened her grip on her hand and followed.

No beasts stepped foot in their path, whether out of luck or fear of Lightning, Vanille didn't know but she would put money on the latter. They crossed a bridge and climbed some stairs, eventually ending up on a small, open air balcony.

Night was just beginning to fall and Vanille released Lightning's hands to rest them on the concrete rail of the balcony. Looking up at the stars that were appearing one by one as it got darker, she temporarily forgot everything.

Instead of watching the stars, Lightning folded her arms and leaned against the rail, watching Vanille. The woman had apparently come back to reality because she lowered her eyes in thought.

"What's wrong?" Lightning questioned gently in her husky voice that was an octave lower than most women's but still unmistakably feminine.

"Nothing," Vanille responded softly with a false smile that didn't reach her eyes then added, "You were really amazing today."

"Thank you," Lightning shocked herself with that response. It felt really good to get a compliment from this woman, which was strange because she typically never cared about other people's opinions.

"Does anyone else know about this place?" Vanille asked, meeting the General's eyes.

"Not many people can get this far into the Training Center, and those that can have no desire to be alone," Lightning replied, thinking of Cloud and Tifa, Squall and Rinoa, and Tidus and Yuna.

Vanille decided she had to ask, at least about one thing she had heard today, so she tried to ask nonchalantly,

"Do you have any family? Brothers...sisters...," Lightning narrowed her eyes at Vanille; she had an idea where this was going. The look on the red head's face told her that she knew more than she was letting on.

"Who told you? Tidus?" The pink haired woman looked livid, but there was something else in her frosty eyes. _Betrayal?_

"Claire, I didn't-," Vanille pleaded, she should have known that it was a touchy subject. The General cut her off quickly,

"No. That is none of your concern. Come on," Lightning ordered, walking out of the secret area in the Training Center. Vanille ran after her trying to catch up to her and when she had, trying to keep stride with the woman.

Lightning was going to kill Tidus, but first, she had the decency to escort the red head back out of the Training Center. It could be a very dangerous place for someone unarmed and inexperienced and Lightning wasn't heartless enough to compromise Vanille's safety.

"Please, I'm sorry," Vanille was on the verge of tears, not because Lightning was mad at her, but because she had obviously hurt her somehow.

After they were out of the Training Center, Lightning continued to lead Vanille back to her dorm silently. They reached her door and the pink haired soldier had every intention of going to her own room but a soft hand around her wrist stopped her.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just...I just want to know more about you," Vanille whispered to Lightning's back, pressing her forehead between the woman's shoulder blades. Lowering her head, Lightning sighed and turned to look into Vanille's green eyes shimmering with tears. _I am now one of the many people who have caused this woman pain_ , she thought regretfully.

"I know...Good night, Vanille." And she walked away.


	8. Lightning's Past

A crowd of cadets were waiting outside of the classroom that would mark their very first lesson ever. Vanille was fidgeting nervously in her place and looking around at all of the other nervous faces in her general area. It had been a week since she had spoken to Lightning, and while she had seen her walking through the halls, she always seemed to disappear before Vanille could catch up to her.

The people around her were still talking about how Lightning beat Cloud and Snow without breaking a sweat. Seeing firsthand what the pink haired woman could do amazed Vanille to no end. She had been so beautiful and graceful in her movements, it was almost as if she were dancing. The idea of the General dancing brought a smile to Vanille's face, which quickly faded when she remembered their last conversation.

She couldn't help thinking that she had somehow betrayed the woman's trust, but she hadn't asked Tidus to tell her those things. All she wanted was Lightning to be able to speak freely with her. The woman was obviously harboring a burden heavy enough to cause her to shut off her emotions to everyone, even herself.

Vanille didn't take Lightning's anger to heart because she was starting to comprehend how the woman handled her feelings. It was much easier to be angry than to let yourself succumb to pain.

Obviously, whatever had happened between Lightning and her sister had hurt her bad enough that she never wanted to talk about it again to anyone. Vanille wanted to learn more about this woman's past; she had done so much for her and she wished she could help lift some of the weight off of the woman's shoulders.

A tall, strawberry blonde woman in a soldier uniform walked through the crowd of cadets and gestured for everyone to follow her into the classroom.

"Everyone, have a seat, I am Instructor Trepe and I'm going to be your homeroom teacher while you're at Garden," she spoke with authority, but she seemed nice enough.

Vanille had chosen a seat next to a boy with silver hair who looked no older than fifteen. Instructor Trepe began to do the roster and the boy next to her turned to glance at her.

"Hey, my name is Hope. What's yours?" The boy whispered and Vanille got a good look at him. He had a friendly face that kind of reminded her of Tidus with his silver hair swept back.

"Vanille. Nice to meet you," She replied, giving him a warm smile.

"Estheim, Hope: Combat Medic. We can never have too many of those," Instructor Trepe commented and the boy looked startled at hearing his name.

"Present!" He looked embarrassed, and said nothing else the rest of class. Instructor Trepe got through the roll, and began her introduction.

"To have made it this far is already an accomplishment. Many people are not cut out for soldier training and of those that do, most quit halfway through. Eventually you will all split off into your desired fields, but for this semester we will be focusing on the basics. Instructor Auron will be your weapons teacher and you'll have him every other day starting tomorrow. He will help guide you to the most appropriate weapon to specialize in. Any questions?"

No one spoke. Everyone was a little nervous after being told that half of them weren't going to make it as soldiers.

"Your other teacher for this semester will be Instructor Katzroy for Basic Battle Theory. You'll have him Wednesdays and Fridays. You will only have homeroom with me on Mondays."

Seeing that everyone was too scared to ask questions, she continued on with the rules of Garden.

"The third floor is off limits to all cadets," At this Vanille blushed a little, having already broken rule number one last week, "The cafeteria is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but there is hot dog limit per student per day. Also, as cadets, you are forbidden from leaving Balamb Garden unless given permission from a certified soldier. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," they all answered, almost in unison. It was the first day and there was not much she could do, plus she could feel she was already losing their attention.

"All right then, don't get used to this, but I'm going to let you out early today. I am giving you homework for next Monday though. Most of you arrived here only days ago. I want you to spend your free time this week familiarizing yourself with the layout of Garden and remember, curfew is at 2100 hours," Seeing some confused faces, she sighed and added, "that's nine o'clock pm. If you didn't know that then your additional homework is to learn military time. You're dismissed."

Vanille slowly got up from her seat and left reluctantly. Unlike most of the cadets there, she already was fairly familiar with Garden and she couldn't wait to get to training.

As the automatic door slid open when she approached it she dragged her feet through it after everyone else, looking down in disappointment.

"Quistis can be such a push over sometimes," Vanille was surprised by the familiar voice of Lightning. Turning to look at the taller woman, she had no idea what to say; sure, there were plenty of things she wanted to say but none seemed appropriate.

Lightning was leaning against the wall about a foot away from the classroom door with her arms folded, looking... _very attractive_. Vanille couldn't believe her eyes; _what was she doing here_? As if reading her thoughts, the pink haired woman pushed herself away from the wall and took a step closer to Vanille.

"I was wondering if I could speak with you," she added, and for the first time, the soldier looked unsure of herself under Vanille's gaze. At that moment, Quistis walked out of the classroom and stopped at the sight of them.

"Oh, General Farron, what are you doing down here? I thought the Commander was having a meeting in his office," Quistis looked disapprovingly at their closeness. Lightning was tempted to tell her off, but feigned politeness for Vanille's sake.

"Squall won't start without me," the General replied coolly. Quistis looked put off and Lightning didn't understand why she thought it was her business what she did or did not do. Without another word, she turned her back and headed for the elevator.

"Sounds like you're pretty busy," Vanille commented, not forgetting that it had been a week since she had spoken to Lightning. _Maybe she's just been working really hard._

"I'm fine. Can I come by your dorm later?" Lightning asked, then seeing Vanille in her uniform reminded her that she was a cadet now and added, "You can say no, it's not an order or anything."

The red head couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. She knew that Lightning would never force her to do anything, but the thought of the pink haired woman having the power to issue her orders was strangely exciting.

"Sure, what time?" Vanille had completely forgotten the past week the second she had set eyes on the soldier outside her classroom.

"A little after curfew, unless that's too late...," Lightning finished, trailing off.

"No! I mean, no, that's perfect," the red head's cheeks started to clash with her hair and she could no longer hold the soldier's unflinching gaze.

"All right, see you later," Lightning finished, and took the elevator up to Squall's office leaving Vanille standing there dumbfounded.

* * *

"How could this happen? Who was guarding him?" Lightning was in disbelief. It seemed everything she did was being compromised by others.

"Balamb's local security. According to them, they blacked out and saw nothing. There were no signs of forced entry and no one was hurt," Squall informed them, just as shocked as Lightning was.

"Seifer knows too much about Garden. He will help Galbadia exploit our weaknesses," Cloud added, frustrated with the situation.

"Galbadia has been suspiciously quiet lately. They were so blatant about what they were doing before. I think they might be planning something and Seifer is going to help them do it," Lightning addressed the group, which was much bigger now. Squall was at the head of the table as usual with Lightning to his right. Cloud and Tidus sat on his other side, each with an old black eye that was beginning to turn yellow; both were courtesy of Lightning. Cloud hadn't really deserved his but it had been unavoidable. Tidus, on the other hand, needed to be punched for his indiscretion about her past. Fang and Snow arranged to attend weekly meetings at Balamb Garden now that they were allies.

"I agree, none of our scouts are able to notice anything out of the ordinary though," Squall replied, deep in thought.

"Maybe they have learned their lesson," Snow suggested, always the optimist. He also had a fading bruise, as well as a healing cut on the side of his head where Lightning had hit him with her spinning kick. All the men in the room save for Squall looked pretty pitiful this afternoon.

"I'm sure that's what it is," Lightning mocked him sarcastically, but he said nothing in his defense.

"I might send my people, Rikku and Paine, off to do some recon as well," Fang offered.

"Good idea, hopefully they can find out what Galbadia is up to, if anything," Squall stated hopefully.

"It's time for us to return now. We will see you next week," Standing up, Fang bowed slightly to them, and left, Snow following behind her.

"You're dismissed as well," Squall ordered standing up. They all took the elevator down and then went their separate ways as usual. Sometimes Cloud and Tidus would hang out for a while, but Lightning was never a part of those get togethers.

She decided to rest in her dorm until it was time to go meet Vanille. Making her way around the loop, Lightning began to prepare herself for what she was going to do tonight. This wasn't going to be easy, but Vanille deserved answers. The red headed woman had been nothing but honest with her, it was time she did the same.

She hadn't yet decided whether to tell Vanille that Seifer had escaped, but for some reason it felt like the right thing to do. The soldier knew one thing; if Seifer took one breath of Garden's air, it would be his last.

Opening her door, she immediately made her way over to her bed and flopped down on it. The pink haired woman stared up at the ceiling and let herself think about her past for the first time in years, eventually falling asleep.

* * *

Vanille was finally able to check out that book she wanted from the library now that she had a student ID. The girl with the pig tail behind the desk still looked at her suspiciously, as if she had made a fake student ID for the sole purpose of stealing library books. She was quickly distracted though when a blonde man with a tattoo on his face walked in, she recognized him as Zell from Rinoa's description of him. The library girl now was keen on getting her out of their as fast as possible.

Taking her book from the counter, Vanille left the library and made her way to the Quad. There were still a couple of hours until curfew and she knew that if she went to her dorm that she would just count down the seconds until Lightning got there.

Stretching out on the ground, Vanille picked up where she thought she left off and was soon immersed in her book. Most of the students were gone, so it was relatively quiet, but Tidus and Yuna seemed to be having an intimate conversation several yards away.

Then all of sudden she heard Tidus yell,

"She said 'yes'! We're getting married!" The remaining students in the Quad cheered and congratulated him. Yuna had turned a bright shade of red and Vanille smiled at the woman from across the Quad. Tidus was dragged away after things settled down again by an extremely embarrassed Yuna and all was quiet again. She didn't know them very well, but they seemed genuinely in love.

With that, Vanille dog-eared the page she was on and stood up, making her way back inside. Once she was back in her dorm it was a few minutes before curfew, so she checked herself in the mirror and let her hair down from its pigtails.

Running her fingers through her hair, she heard a short, sharp knock on her door. _Already? I haven't had a chance to change out of my cadet uniform yet!_ , Vanille panicked throwing off her clothes and pulling on more casual ones while shouting,

"One second!" She managed to catch a glance at herself in the mirror again and smooth down her hair before she opened the door.

Lightning stood there, in the same outfit she always wore as well as the same aloof expression. Vanille couldn't help but admire the woman's physique for the billionth time. _There is no way she eats at the cafeteria with a body like that_ , the red head thought looking at her thin waist and toned arms. The soldier cleared her throat to get Vanille's attention and gave her an expectant look.

"Oh, sorry. Right, come in," Vanille stumbled over her words and held open the door for the taller woman. Lightning strode in and turned back around to Vanille, who was shutting the door behind her. Since it was a small cadet dorm room with nothing but a bed and a wardrobe there weren't a lot of places to sit.

"Uhm, I'm sorry there isn't a lot of room," Once again Vanille felt embarrassed at her living situation even though she knew that Lightning had lived in a dorm room like this when she was a cadet.

"If you'd like, I could get a bigger dorm for you," Lighting offered, seeing the red head's discomfort.

"Oh, no! I'm fine. I'm just surprised I didn't get moved to a double room with someone else when I became a cadet," Vanille said thoughtfully. Lightning wasn't about to tell her that she had made sure the red head hadn't been moved. Their rooms were relatively close and Lightning had pulled rank on some Resident Assistants to keep it that way.

Vanille sat down on the edge of the bed and motioned for Lightning to do the same. Feeling awkward for a moment, the red head decided to start off,

"Hey, did you know that Tidus and Yuna are engaged? He asked her to marry him this afternoon in the Quad." Lightning looked mildly surprised.

"They're a good match. I think they'll be happy together," Lightning commented, wanting to get to the subject she had been bracing herself for all day. Seeing the concentration on the general's face, Vanille decided to just get to the point.

"Claire, you've been avoiding me all week, and now you say you want to talk. What's going on?" Vanille questioned softly, gazing at the soldier beside her.

* * *

Lightning knew she had to tell Vanille everything. She wanted to open up to the red head, she really wanted to, but it wasn't easy after years of being closed off from everyone. Taking one look into her forest green eyes, Lightning knew that she could trust Vanille especially after everything the woman had trusted her with. Gathering her courage, she began,

"I was wrong to be angry with you, Vanille. You asked me a simple question and I was too...scared to answer it," Lightning had difficulty admitting her weakness, but trudged on, "You've been nothing but honest with me, and I want to return the favor."

Vanille was staring at her with those eyes and it was extremely difficult to concentrate on her words. Yet, the red head said nothing and allowed her to continue.

"Tidus probably let slip to you that I have a sister...Serah. What he probably didn't tell you is that when I was 15 and Serah was 12 our mother fell ill and died. Since our father passed away when we were very young there was nowhere else for us to go except Balamb Garden.," Lightning sighed, talking about Serah wasn't easy for her. It was painful for her to admit that she missed her, but she had been the one to leave. Still Vanille listened and said nothing.

"I tried to take care of her. Our mother's death hit her hard; we had all been very close. So, we became cadets, but I knew Serah didn't want to be a soldier. She could never hurt anyone" _Except for me_ , Lightning thought to herself.

"I rose through the ranks quickly, accepting more and more missions. My relationship with Serah suffered, and we began drifting apart. Then, when she was 18, she was took a day trip to Balamb and that's where she met Snow for the first time. He was a sergeant taking some R and R and not long after that they began dating."

Lightning paused at this moment. So far it had been easy to reveal all of this, but she had come to the hard part now. Vanille's face hadn't changed, but her eyes were constantly searching her own as if trying to read her emotions. If she stopped too long she was afraid she wouldn't be able to continue, so she began again.

"On my 21st birthday, they came to me and announced their engagement. Snow had convinced her to move to Trabia with him. I thought that she was only doing this to quit cadet training or because I hadn't been spending enough time with her. I hadn't taken the time to get to know Snow, but I'd heard about his reputation as a womanizer. Serah told me that he had changed, but I didn't listen. I just wanted to protect her," Lightning explained, understanding now how foolish she had been, "I told her that if she left, to not bother coming back."

Thinking about Serah hurt. It had been a little over a year now and Lightning had not heard from her since. A week ago was the first time she had seen Snow since he had whisked her sister away to Trabia. It was easy to be angry with him, but telling this story to Vanille made her realize her mistake.

* * *

Vanille could see the internal battle raging through Lightning's deep blue eyes. This woman had tried to take care of her sister, but had gone about it the wrong way. The pink haired woman looked strained and had lowered her head in shame. Vanille had the overwhelming urge to comfort the woman who had finally opened up to her.

Reaching out, the red head gently took the soldier's hand in both of hers, surprising Lightning a little. Vanille did something a little bolder then; she proceeded to peel the pink haired woman's fingerless glove off of her hand slowly.

Lightning looked as if she was going to pull away, but she let the woman do it anyway. After the glove was completely off Vanille simply held her hand and asked,

"Do you miss her?" The answer seemed obvious by how repentant Lightning looked, but she felt like the general needed to say it out loud.

"I do, she was all I had," Lightning replied with a dejected look on her beautiful face.

"Have you considered going to Trabia and seeing her?" Vanille asked, searching Lightning with her eyes for a response.

"A few times, but she chose to leave...I don't know if she'll want to see me," The soldier appeared defeated.

"She's your sister. I bet she misses you too," Vanille reassured her, and she was rewarded with an appreciative look from Lightning.

There was one more thing Vanille wanted to ask her, but it didn't seem fair to ask more of the woman. It had been so hard for her to open her heart that she didn't want to push her and risk her closing up again.

* * *

Despite the deep regret she was feeling right now Lightning still noticed the red head practically biting her tongue. For some reason, she wanted to put all of her cards on the table and get everything out in the air. Lightning desperately wanted for Vanille to know everything, so she told her,

"You can ask me anything."

Vanille looked mildly uncomfortable, but spoke anyway,

"Tidus mentioned something about you and...Cloud...dating." Lightning could feel the red head's hand quiver a little in nervousness, but she couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face.

"Did he? It's true. We dated for a few months and we both knew it wasn't going anywhere. People just kept telling us we'd be a good couple, so Cloud asked me out. He met Tifa not long after and we agreed to break it off. Of course, Tidus probably tells it differently," Lightning was actually amused that Vanille was so concerned about her romantic past. _Was she jealous?_ The general thought, a tiny part of her hopeful. Sure enough, the red head breathed a small sigh of relief and smiled at Lightning.

"He said that Cloud dumped you and that you were really mad," Vanille admitted, feeling braver now that she had seen the soldier actually smile.

"When do I not look really mad?" Lightning joked back, unable to wipe the grin off her face. She felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders just talking with Vanille.

"Right now, actually," Vanille pointed out, laughing at the situation. As Vanille's giggling slowed, Lightning became very aware of how close they had gotten throughout the conversation. They still held hands and Vanille's bare thigh was brushing her own at this point. For once, she didn't mind the contact.

It was starting to get late and she didn't want to ruin the mood, but it was only fair to Vanille to tell her the news.

* * *

"Vanille, there's something else I need to tell you," seeing how somber Lightning had become all of a sudden, the red head listened intently.

"What is it, Claire?" she questioned softly, squeezing the woman's hand to let her know that she was listening.

"Seifer...he's escaped from the Balamb holding facility," it was apparent that Lightning hadn't wanted to reveal this information, but had reluctantly admitted it.

Vanille's heart dropped. The man who had attacked her a little over a week ago was free and could be anywhere. The soldier must have noticed her worry because it was her turn to squeeze Vanille's hand, and promised,

"He won't hurt you again." And Vanille believed her. How could she not with the fierce look the General had in those icy blue eyes?

Vanille was lost in the feeling of being so close to this strong, gorgeous woman. She probably should have been more upset about Seifer's escape, but she had no doubt that Lightning would watch out for her.

Lightning stood up suddenly, bringing Vanille back to reality. Walking the two steps to the door, the pink haired general once again turned to look into bright green eyes.

"Thank you, Vanille," Lightning gave the red head's hand a final squeeze and released it, opening the door, "Good night."

Vanille was beginning to love this tradition they were creating. Flashing the woman a grin, she recited her usual reply,

"Good night, Claire." And with that, Lightning left, closing the door behind her softly. The red head turned and leaned against the door, letting herself slide to the floor. Vanille sighed and felt content, because for the first time, she felt as if she understood Claire Farron.


	9. Galbadia Attacks

Vanille sat in her Basic Battle Theory class with Instructor Katzroy on Friday afternoon, counting down the minutes until the weekend. It had only been her first week of classes as a cadet, but it already felt tedious. Being a student again was strange, while some days were really interesting, other days, such as this one, were particularly boring. It wasn't that Instructor Katzroy wasn't a good teacher, he was really funny actually; it was just the fact that he taught theory. There was nothing more mind numbing than theory.

There was another reason Vanille was eager to get out of class: Lightning had offered to take her to dinner in Balamb. _She's probably just being nice and trying to save me from another night of hot dogs,_ Vanille thought glumly, but she couldn't help the excitement that ran through her.

After Lightning had left her dorm Monday, Vanille had stayed up almost all night thinking about her. She had long since discovered that she had feelings for the pink haired soldier, but lately it was becoming almost unbearable. Every time she saw the woman now, her heart raced and it became difficult to breath. Just a glance at her in the halls, and Vanille was unable to stop the wave of affection that washed over her.

Lightning had opened up to her and trusted her with intimate details of her past, and Vanille had done the same with her. Never had the red head felt so close to someone, but she was almost positive that her feelings were not reciprocated.

"You can go," Vanille heard Instructor Katzroy say, cutting through her day dreams. The red head didn't need to be told twice. She stood up, grabbed her things, and practically bolted for the door. Despite dinner not being for a few hours, Vanille wanted to head back to her dorm and start getting ready.

* * *

She couldn't stop thinking about Vanille. Lightning's every thought reminded her of the red head and the conversation they had. Never in her entire life had she opened up the way she did that night, and surprisingly, she wasn't worried at all. She knew Vanille would never hurt her with the personal information Lightning had given her or tell anyone. It felt good to be able to trust someone.

Each day, Lightning became more and more aware of her growing feelings for the red head and it was beginning to reach a peak. She felt that if she didn't act on them soon she may explode, but she was hesitant. The pink haired soldier wasn't sure if Vanille would feel the same way, especially after everything she had been through. Sighing in frustration, she focused back on her work.

Lightning had just finished going through all of the scout reports for the week when Squall threw open her door unannounced. This happened from time to time so she was only mildly surprised to see the Commander.

"Galbadia's coming. Fang's scouts saw their soldiers board an airship. They're heading this way," Squall informed her, out of breath.

"Did you call Cloud or Tidus yet?" Lightning had forgotten how to panic after years of being a soldier. She should have seen this coming. All she could do now was concentrate on getting Balamb Garden secure. There was no point in trying to move Garden at this point; an airship would outrun them easily.

"No, I need to alert the school," Squall was already halfway back to his desk and hitting the intercom button, when Lightning dialed Cloud's number on her phone.

* * *

Vanille was almost to the elevator when she heard the Commander's voice over the intercom.

"Attention Instructors, you are to take all cadets to the Basement Level of Garden immediately. This is not a drill. We are going on lock down. Wait for further instructions. All soldiers are to assemble in their units on the first floor. That is all."

All at once there was chaos in the halls. Instructor Katzroy shot out of his classroom, along with Instructor Trepe and Auron as well as many more teachers she didn't recognize.

They began shepherding all of the students into the elevator in waves; Vanille had made her decision the second she heard the announcement. She wasn't stupid, this had something to do with Galbadia, and she wasn't going to stand by while these people fought for her. Slipping through the crowd, she managed to sneak back into the classroom amongst the confusion.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, the first floor was packed with soldiers, heavily armed and ready to defend Garden. Squall addressed the group from the elevator platform,

"Everyone..., the Galbadian army is on an airship right now headed straight for us. They won't show us any mercy. We must do everything in our power to protect Garden, no more, no less."

Lightning showed no emotion, but at Squall's words, an icy sensation ran though her. Vanille was in the basement and this elevator was the only way down there. Not one Galbadian soldier was going to get within a hundred yards of that elevator, if she had anything to do with it.

This was going to be the most serious battle some of these soldiers had ever faced, but they were all well prepared. All hands were on deck for this one; even Squall was going to be in the fray. His gun blade, which had sat around unused for many years, was just as impressive as the last time she saw it.

Lightning, Cloud, Tidus, and Squall went around and issued orders to the sergeants, who in turn, issued orders to their subordinates. Most of the Combat Medics, led by Rinoa, would be down the Infirmary hall, ready to pull wounded soldiers to safety. All of the other halls would house a unit, with the three remaining units in the center guarding the elevator.

The Trabian military was on their way, but they were miles away and it would be at least an hour before they arrived. The pink haired general had learned not to count on reinforcements. Taking her place on the elevator platform, she flung her gun blade into its sword form, ready for a fight. Now, they waited.

* * *

Vanille knew she had no real military experience but she had to help somehow. The only reason Balamb Garden was being attacked was because they had helped the L'Cie...her. She waited in the vacant classroom until she could no longer hear the sound of the elevator going up and down anymore. Crouching low, Vanille went through the door, wincing at the loud noise it made as it slid open and closed. She could hear the soldiers downstairs as they prepared for the battle ahead, and she peaked over the edge of the railing to get a look.

She had never realized how many soldiers Garden actually had until they were all in one place. They almost completely filled the first floor, with their weapons out and waiting.

There, directly in front of the elevator doors on the first floor, was Lightning with her gun blade out, looking almost bored. Squall stood not far away with his weapon, which Vanille recognized from class as an older model of gun blade. Cloud and Tidus stood with their swords looking alert and ready for whatever came. She could see all of her new friends down there prepared to defend their home all because they had saved her from the Galbadian purge.

The guilt that wracked Vanille's body was almost debilitating in its power. She had never meant for this to happen. All of these people were in grave peril because of her. She had to do something.

These thoughts were soon pushed from her mind when all of a sudden there was an explosion near the roof. Shattered glass rained down on the soldiers, and Vanille flattened herself with her back against the railing.

* * *

Once the glass stopped falling, Lightning was able to look up and see hundreds of Galbadian soldiers sliding down on ropes through the Garden's broken glass roof. Immediately they started shooting, some before they had even hit the floor. She had to remind herself that she needed to hold this position in order to protect the cadets and Vanille, but it was extremely difficult when her fellow comrades were charging at the enemy.

Holding her ground she deflected bullets with her gun blade, and slashed at any Galbadian soldiers that were foolish enough to get within striking distance. Amidst the melee, she was able to see Yuna firing carefully aimed shots into the crowd and Tifa pummeling a soldier into a submission. All around her, shots were being fired blindly by the Galbadians, nit caring who they hit. Sometimes they would hit their target, but more often than not they hit some other unsuspecting victim.

The inexperienced Galbadian soldiers were falling left and right, only managing to wound a few of Garden's soldiers in the process. It was looking as if it was going to be an easy victory when Lightning was suddenly ambushed by five Galbadian soldiers.

* * *

Vanille had been watching the battle from above and thought it was time to stop hiding and start doing something. Seeing that one of the ropes the Galbadian soldiers came in on was nearby, she climbed up on the railing and grabbed the rope, sliding down. The rope burned her bare hands and knees as she slid swiftly downwards, but she didn't let go. Hitting the ground, her knees buckled a little bit, but she quickly regained her balance.

There was a discarded gun close by, so Vanille picked it up and ran through the crowd. Galbadian soldiers almost exclusively used guns because any one could learn how to fire a gun and she, too, learned quickly. Keeping low, she managed to get through the chaos and catch sight of Lightning. She was currently tangled up in a nasty battle with a group of Galbadian soldiers trying to get to the elevator. She seemed to be doing just fine, but that's when Vanille saw him.

She hadn't seen him arrive, but there he was, slashing his way towards a distracted and preoccupied Lightning. She was so wrapped up in the Galbadia soldiers that she couldn't see Seifer approaching her undefended back. Vanille was too far away, she wouldn't be able to reach Lightning in time.

A torrent of emotions was raging inside her as she watched Seifer make his way towards Lightning. Vanille was not the kind of person to hold grudges, but she could say with certainty that she hated this man. Being the coward that he was, Seifer had waited until Lightning was engaged in another battle before attacking her.

Dodging bullets and swords alike, Vanille sprinted towards the pink haired general. Seifer was already mere feet from her, preparing to strike Lightning down with his massive gun blade. There was no time. Vanille stopped and took aim, but she couldn't get a clear shot. Not willing to risk shooting Lightning, she yelled,

"Lightning! Behind you!"

Waiting until Lightning's gun blade was aimed at someone else, Seifer brought his down.

* * *

Lightning had just dispatched the last of the soldiers when her ears unconsciously honed in on Vanille's voice. Without thinking, she turned to her right, but it was too late. Seifer's gun blade fell, slicing her right arm open, from her shoulder to her elbow. Physically, her hand no longer had the strength to hold her grip on the gun blade and it clanked to the floor at her feet.

Searing pain shot through her entire body as blood began to pour out of her open wound, but she wasn't going to let it stop her.

Not giving up, she had started to reach for her pocket knife with her left hand when she heard a bullet streak by her head. Looking up, there was Vanille, pointing a gun directly at Seifer.

She had hit him dead on. He dropped his gun blade and fell to his knees in shock. Blood drenched the front of his shirt and was soaked up into the fabric. Then, he collapsed, eyes wide still in disbelief and unseeing as blood trickled from his parted lips. Vanille had killed him.

All around them, Galbadian soldiers were falling, but Lightning was frozen in her place, staring at Vanille. What was she doing here? She was supposed to be in the basement with all the other cadets, but the red head had just saved her. Lightning couldn't pick apart what exactly she was feeling at the moment, but one emotion took precedence over all the rest: fear. Vanille was no longer safe, and with her wound, she would be unable to protect her.

The red head ran to her and tried to pull her away to the Infirmary, but the General refused, still not believing her eyes.

"Vanille, you... you shouldn't be here."

Reaching down with her left hand, she picked up her gun blade and in one easy motion, flicked it back into a gun. The truth was her vision was starting to get blurry with the amount of blood she was losing. It gushed down her arm and trickled off her fingertips in a steady stream, showing no signs of stopping.

"You need a medic," Vanille pleaded with her, reaching for her wounded arm. It seemed most of the Galbadian troops were dead, wounded, or had surrendered, but one still had enough fight to aim a bullet their way. She saw the soldier take aim, but not being able to tell where the bullet was going, Lightning turned to face Vanille, shielding her body from anything and everything.

Sure enough, the bullet would have hit Vanille because it now struck Lightning in her left shoulder, causing her to drop her weapon again.

"No!" she could hear Vanille scream, and she looked into her panicked green eyes. It was getting too difficult to stand, so Lightning dropped to one knee. Looking up, through her narrow field of vision she still had, she could see the Galbadian airship fleeing, callously leaving its soldiers behind. Seconds later, a red airship took its place, Ragnarok. With that, Lightning let the darkness take her.

* * *

Vanille watched as Lightning began to fall sideways, and was able to catch her and lay her down gently on the floor. There was so much blood, it stained everything it touched.

Vanille had thought the pink haired general to be infallible. To see her like this terrified her. All around them, wounded were screaming and groaning in pain, but Lightning had found one last ounce of energy to take a bullet for her.

Thinking quickly, Vanille wrapped Lightning's cape around her arm in order to stem the blood flow. She tied it around the wound Seifer gave her and used her hand to put pressure on the bullet wound.

All of the prisoners had been taken away, and now the soldiers were going around and helping the wounded. Zell came by them first and couldn't believe his eyes.

"Get Rinoa!" Vanille had never been so scared in her life. She had only been in cadet training a week and she had no idea what to do for Lightning as the blood drained out of her.

The red airship had turned out to be the Trabian military and after they landed in the Quad, soldiers and medics fanned out all around them.

Only minutes had passed and Zell returned with an exhausted-looking Rinoa carrying medical equipment.

"Here, tilt her head back and give her this," Rinoa instructed. She handed her a bottle, but it wasn't a potion. On the label it said 'Elixir' but Vanille didn't question and did as she was told. Lifting Lightning's torso into her lap, Vanille gently shifted her head backwards and poured the contents between her parted lips.

The elevator began bringing cadets back up and Lightning was directly in front of the doors. Zell leant down and scooped up the fallen soldier and moved her away from the doors.

Everything seemed to be happening so quickly, before she knew it the cadets had gone to their dorm rooms and brought out mattresses to make the entire first floor an infirmary. Seeing this, Zell lifted Lightning once again and placed her on one nearby.

Luckily, the bullet had gone right through her, otherwise it would have complicated things a bit. Rinoa instructed Vanille to dab the wounds with the ointment she gave her and then dress the wound in gauze before she hurried off to help someone else.

Lightning was so pale she could have been dead, but her shallow breathing gave her away. Dressing the arm wound was not so hard, but the shoulder one was a little trickier. Vanille had to slide Lightning's sleeveless trench coat gently off her shoulder and carefully push her brown turtle neck to the side. If this had been any other situation, Vanille would have been incredibly embarrassed, but she didn't have time for that.

Looking around she could see familiar faces on the surrounding mattresses. Not too far away Tidus was having a deep wound in his chest tended to by Yuna. Cloud could be seen cleaning a minor gash on Tifa's leg while she complained loudly that she didn't need help.

After she had finished wrapping the wounds in gauze, Vanille had a cadet go get her a bucket of water and a rag. She proceeded to clean the blood off of Lightning slowly. It had started to dry and was a little difficult to wash off, but she took her time and did it as carefully as she could.

* * *

Lightning could feel her injuries before her mind even processed that she had them. Pain washed over her but she couldn't move. Her body felt like lead and the mere act of breathing took almost the entirety of her strength. Unwillingly to open her eyes just yet, she focused in on her other senses and felt something cold and wet on her arm. It wasn't on her wound and it wasn't causing her any pain, but it was a strange sensation. Finally willing her eyes to open, Lightning was able to make out the shape of a person above her. As she stared, more and more details came into focus; red hair, high cheek bones, forest green eyes. _Vanille_.

Attempting to speak, Lightning couldn't get her vocal chords to obey other than to let out a groan. The red head turned to look at her and put a soft hand to her face.

"Claire...," Vanille whispered, and Lightning had never realized how much she loved her accent. The red head's hand was gentle and warm against her cheek and it distracted her from the pain. Forcing her voice to obey her, Lightning managed to ask weakly,

"Did we win?" Vanille gazed into her eyes and smiled down at her.

"Yep, now you need to rest," the red head gently ordered and remembering Lightning's words to her not too long ago,

"You're safe now." The pink haired soldier, managed a smile at Vanille's words and was about to fall asleep when she noticed three people walking towards them. Using what energy she had left, Lightning staved off sleep a little bit longer.

As they got closer, Lightning's eyelids were beginning to droop, but she still strained her ears to hear their voices.

"Squall said she was over here somewhere." A strong female voice with an accent like Vanille's, Lightning recognized this one as Fang, the Commander of Trabia Garden.

"How'd she get hurt? I thought she was invincible." A low, male voice joked. This was Snow. Clinging on a little bit longer, she heard a voice that she thought she would never hear again.

"Will she be okay?" The worried female voice carried to her ears and her brain was just able to process whose it was before succumbing to sleep.

_Serah?_


	10. Sisters Reunited

Light trickled through the window, landing directly onto Lightning's closed eyes. The brightness was enough to bring her back from the deep sleep she was in. Feeling as though she had fallen from a second story window, Lightning assessed her injuries without opening her eyes.

There was a stabbing pain all the way through her left shoulder and her right arm felt as though it had been set on fire.

Slowly her brain became aware of a weight on her stomach; it wasn't heavy or unpleasant, but warm and comforting. Lightning forced her eyelids open and was momentarily blinded by the light in her eyes. Seconds later her pupils adjusted and she was able to look down at her stomach.

Lightning's eyes were greeted with a mass of wavy red hair splayed out over her abdomen. The General gazed warmly at Vanille, who had obviously fallen asleep there.

Not wanting to wake the red head, Lightning glanced around and took in her current surroundings. She was now in the actual Infirmary and the beds around her were full of injured soldiers from the previous day's battle. Apparently, someone had also put her in a hospital gown and wrapped her wounds in gauze. Thinking back, Lightning tried to remember how she got here, but her mind offered her nothing. The last memory she had was hearing... _Serah!_

Gathering her strength, the pink haired woman attempted to sit up, but a stabbing pain in her right arm made it impossible. Wincing, Lightning lay back down and tried to remember anything she could from the battle. All at once, everything rushed back.

Why hadn't she seen Seifer there? _Because he tried to kill you when your back was turned,_ she thought humorlessly. Once again glancing down at the woman resting on her stomach, Lightning couldn't believe that she had shot him. Taking a human life was not an easy thing to do, and the soldier had a feeling Vanille had never hurt anyone in her life, much less killed anyone.

Despite this, Vanille had saved her. This was new for Lightning; she was usually the one doing the saving, but for some odd reason she didn't mind.

Then, she remembered stepping in front of Vanille and blocking the bullet aimed at her. She hadn't really thought about it, but even if she had, she still would've done the same thing.

Lightning lifted a weak hand up and ran her fingers through the silky red hair and marveled at how incredibly soft it was. As eager as she was to see her sister, she was hesitant to wake the sleeping woman, but thankfully Vanille began to stir a few minutes later.

The red headed woman sat up stretching and yawning. Feeling eyes on her, Vanille looked over at Lightning. She should have felt embarrassed under the ice blue gaze, but she wasn't.

Meeting her eyes, Vanille couldn't help but feel drawn to Lightning. Getting up from her seat, she grabbed a potion off the shelf and perched on the bed beside the pink haired woman.

"Do you need help sitting up?" Vanille asked. Lightning felt weak for the first time in years, but she nodded silently. While the General lifted her torso with her abdominal muscles, Vanille slid a hand behind her back to support her and with the other she adjusted the pillows.

Lightning leaned back into the soft pillows and relaxed her body. Vanille handed her the potion and she downed it in one gulp, feeling the familiar warmth spread to her aching limbs.

"Vanille...," Lightning began, all of sudden unsure of herself. There were so many things she wanted and needed to say to this woman.

"Mhmm?" Vanille replied, giving the soldier her full attention. Lightning tried to organize her thoughts but it was extremely difficult with those green eyes boring into her like that.

"You...I...Thank you," the soldier stumbled over her words. Vanille smiled at her and did something unexpected. She threw her arms around Lightning, squeezing her a little too tightly. Realizing she was hurting her, the red head tried to release her, but Lightning wouldn't have it.

Raising her weak arms, she gingerly placed them around Vanille's waist. The smaller woman relaxed into the soldier's arms and rested her head lightly on Lightning's chest.

Vanille felt peaceful listening to the soldier's heart beat and feeling the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

Unable to keep the question to herself any longer, Lightning asked,

"Vanille, was my...was Serah here?" The red head pulled back from Lightning, far enough to look into her eyes. Last night the younger Farron sister had come by to visit Lightning and she had stayed and talked with Vanille a while.

"Yes, she's still here." Seeing the confused look in the General's eyes, she continued, "She's helping the Trabian soldiers clean up Garden."

At hearing this, Lightning nodded and made her decision. She might never get the chance again, so it was time to make things right. Vanille felt her trying to move, so she slid to the side to allow her to stand up. Remembering that she was in a hospital gown, Lightning asked,

"Where are my clothes?" Vanille opened the drawer in the night stand and pulled out her clothes, which were freshly laundered.

"I hope you don't mind. I washed them this morning," the red head shyly admitted, handing Lightning her usual outfit. This was another strange experience for the soldier. Never in her life had someone done her a simple favor such as washing her clothes. When she and Serah had been kids, Lightning had done both their laundry and as a soldier she always did her own.

"Thank you," Lightning took her clothes, amazed at Vanille's kindness, and changed in the bathroom. When she came out, she walked over to Vanille who she noticed for the first time was also in a new outfit. From the looks of it, she had managed to change clothes during the night because she was no longer in her blood soaked cadet uniform from yesterday. She was now dressed in cut-off jean shorts that went to her knees and her usual tank top.

Already her limbs were starting to feel better. Lightning was still sore and it hurt to raise her arms above a certain point, but other than that she felt pretty good. She was certainly better off than most people in the Infirmary.

Thinking back to the previous night's battle, Lightning wondered what happened to her comrades. Not seeing any familiar faces, she asked,

"Is everyone else okay?"

"For the most part. Thankfully none of Garden's soldiers were killed. Tidus was hurt pretty badly, but he's already up and about," Vanille answered, cheerfully. Seeing that Lightning was deep in thought, she decided to continue.

"Ready to go?" Vanille's voice brought her back to reality.

"Yea," Lightning noticed that the red head now had her gun blade in her hand. This woman thought of everything; Vanille had made sure that her most prized possession had made it back to her. Strangely, Lightning had forgotten all about her weapon until she saw the red head holding it; ever since she had woken up her mind had been preoccupied.

The pink haired woman felt a surge of affection for Vanille as she walked side by side with her out of the Infirmary. Not only did she save her life, but she paid attention to every detail to make sure Lightning was comfortable when she woke up. No one had _cared_ for her the way Vanille did, and it wasn't unpleasant in the slightest. In fact, Lightning had to admit it felt good.

The red head led her in the main hall of the first floor and Lightning was surprised by the sight that met her eyes.

The first floor was almost entirely back to the way it was before the battle. Balamb and Trabian soldiers alike were cleaning away the last of the debris, and there were even people up on the roof, making a temporary patch for the gaping hole in the glass.

Making their way around the hall, Lightning could see her near the library sweeping up some broken glass. She looked the same as the last time she had seen her, except now she appeared to be more mature. That probably had nothing to do with her physical change than an emotional change in Lightning.

It all of a sudden became difficult to move forward, so Lightning watched from a distance. Serah had the same shade of hair as herself but hers was in a side ponytail with loose hairs that framed her face. She was only a few years younger than Lightning, but the way Serah carried herself made her seem like the nineteen year old she was, while the General appeared much older with her serious nature.

Lightning felt a warm hand slide into hers and turned to look at Vanille. The look the red head was giving her was enough to help her gather enough courage to walk over to her sister. Understanding that she had to fight this battle alone, the soldier slowly released Vanille's hand and walked towards Serah.

She hadn't noticed Lightning's presence yet, as she dumped a pan full of glass into a trash can. The General was hesitant to draw attention to her presence, but she knew that it was now or never.

"Serah...," Lightning said, a little over a whisper, but the younger woman heard it. Serah turned around slowly and her eyes went wide with shock at who was standing before her. From her reaction, Lightning suspected that Serah hadn't thought she would seek her out.

"Light?" Serah looked almost on the verge of tears, and all of sudden, threw her arms around the taller woman's waist. It seemed like the soldier was going to be getting a lot of hugs today, but she didn't mind.

Wrapping her arms around her sister for the first time in years, Lightning tried to remember the last time she had hugged her sister. They had been growing apart long before Serah left, so it was a long time coming.

Mustering up the last bit of her courage, Lightning said what she should have a long time ago, her voice husky with suppressed emotion,

"I'm so sorry." Serah squeezed her tighter and it was as if the past year had never happened. Drawing back a little to see her sister, Serah gave Lightning a watery smile.

"I'm sorry, too. Are you...Are you okay?" the younger woman asked, reaching out a hand to touch the bandages on Lightning's arm. The General hardly believe how fast Serah accepted her apology, having completely forgiven her, no questions asked.

"I'm fine. How did you get here?" Lightning questioned, having entirely forgotten about her injuries until that moment. She just couldn't believe that it had been that easy to be forgiven by her sister.

"When I heard your Garden was being attacked, I had to come. So, I convinced Fang to let me go with the soldiers to help in any way I could," Serah's eyes were so earnest and reflected the worry she had felt over her sister's safety.

There was one more question Lightning wanted to ask,

"Are you staying?" Serah hadn't taken her eyes off her big sister, and she smiled wide at the question.

"Well, Fang is taking the rest of the soldiers back to Trabia Garden tonight, but Snow and I were thinking about staying Balamb for a week or so...," Serah informed, trailing off, as if asking Lightning if that was okay.

Honestly, Lightning wished she would stay at Garden, but her and Snow would probably be more comfortable in the nearby town. She was just glad that she would have more time to reconnect with her younger sister.

Serah broke her gaze to look over her older sister's shoulder. Turning to see what she was looking at, Lightning saw Vanille talking to Yuna and a bandaged up Tidus. Meeting their gaze, the red head waved happily from across the room.

"She really cares about you," Serah said, watching Vanille. She had talked with the woman last night while Lightning slept, and it was blatantly obvious that the red head had deep feelings for her sister.

"I know," Lightning replied, gazing at the woman who had given her the strength to apologize to Serah. Snow suddenly appeared beside them and wrapped an arm around the younger woman.

"Hey, Light. How're you feeling?" The large man asked with his typical smirk, but he made sure he wasn't within striking distance.

"I'm all right...thank you," Lightning tried to convey her gratitude to the man for everything he had done for her sister. Snow seemed temporarily startled by the General's words, but quickly recovered.

"Glad to hear it," then directing his next words to Serah, "I called the inn. They've got a room for us. We can go whenever you're ready."

Lightning stepped forward and it was her turn to embrace her sister. Snow stepped back to give the two some space and grinned at them. Releasing her, Lightning held her sister at arm's length and gave her a genuine smile.

"I'll be in town Friday, can I come see you?" the taller woman questioned and Serah was overjoyed at being asked this question.

"Of course!" Giving her sister one last squeeze, Serah nodded to Snow and waved good bye. Lightning watched as the couple walked down the hall and towards the parking lot.

Waiting until they were out of sight, Vanille hesitantly approached the soldier and placed a cautious hand on the woman's shoulder. At the gentle touch Lightning turned to look at the red head and her eyes softened.

Making their way back to the Infirmary, Lightning slid her hand into Vanille's interlocking their fingers.


	11. Revelations

Sighing and shuffling around papers on her desk for the hundredth time that day, Lightning came to the decision that she wasn't going to be able to get any work done. All week she had been thinking about seeing her sister again and today was the day.

The only thing keeping her sane was Vanille, who had not only healed her physical wounds from the battle, but had also been an emotional comfort to her. The red head constantly reminded her that she had done the right thing and that apologizing was the hardest part.

Seeing her sister again made her extremely happy but it also made her feel extremely guilty. Yet, after a year, Serah wasn't mad at her; she didn't hold a grudge. All she wanted was to have her sister back and the soldier was ready to be there, even if that meant accepting Snow as her brother-in-law.

Looking at the time, Lightning stood up and straightened the papers into a semi-organized pile on her desk. She walked down the hall and up to a door with the words, 'Commander Leonhart' engraved on it. Knocking sharply, a voice called her in and the pink haired general opened the door and stepped through.

"What can I do for you, Lightning?" Squall asked, looking up from his work at the woman in front of him. The stress was evident in her eyes despite her expressionless face.

"Would it be all right if I left a little early today, sir?" the soldier asked, not feeling the need to reveal anything else to her boss.

Shaking his head and smiling sadly he looked at her with a defeated expression. Still, after all the years they had known each other, she insisted on calling him 'sir.'

"Sure, see you Monday. Have a good weekend," Squall allowed, looking back down at his work. Nodding, Lightning made to take her leave but stopped and turned back around.

"Thank you, Squall," with that, she turned and walked out of the door, shutting it behind her. The Commander could only stare at where she had been moments before. Had he heard her right?

Something was changing in Lightning and he was certain it had something to do with the red headed L'Cie woman he had seen her with so much lately.

Her simple use of his name was enough to put Squall in a good mood for the rest of the day.

* * *

Class had just been dismissed and Vanille collected her things to go. Walking through the crowded halls, the red head took the elevator down to the first floor and wasn't sure what she was going to do with the rest of her afternoon.

Lightning had invited her to go out to dinner with her, Serah, and Snow but that wasn't for a few hours. Walking slowly through the halls, Vanille was excited and nervous about spending time with the soldier's family. From the short conversations she had with Serah, Vanille could tell that the younger Farron sister was a sweet and sincere person. She didn't know much about Snow but he seemed like a nice guy.

When the General had asked her to go to dinner with them, she couldn't believe it. At first, Vanille had considered declining because she didn't want to intrude, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The idea that the soldier considered Vanille as close to her as her own family was deeply flattering, and she was honored.

Deciding on the Quad, the red head made her way down the hall when she caught a glimpse of pink hair amongst the sea of mostly brunettes and blondes. Vanille sped up her pace and managed to catch up to Lightning, who seemed miles away from the look on her face.

* * *

Lightning wasn't really heading anywhere. She didn't want to go back to her dorm because for once she didn't actually want to be alone. Unfortunately, the one person she wanted to keep her company was still in class and the halls were almost empty save for a few soldiers milling around.

Garden was almost completely back to the way it was before the battle except for the immense glass ceiling. It wasn't easy to get a replacement for such a huge piece of glass but the hole was well patched up for the time being.

All of the wounded were pretty much healed and the remaining Galbadian prisoners were being held in Balamb. Galbadia had made no contact as to getting back their prisoners of war, and it seemed they weren't interested in those who got left behind.

The General's wounds had healed a few days ago but if she moved her arm in a certain way she could still feel a slight pain; nothing unbearable. Vanille had done such an amazing job patching her up that there wouldn't even be a permanent scar.

Remembering the red head's warm hands on her arm as she dressed her wounds sent shivers up Lightning's spine. No matter how much she tried she couldn't stop the powerful feelings that Vanille stirred in her lately. It was getting so bad that it was almost impossible to distract her mind from the red head. The only thing that even remotely competed for attention in her mind was going to dinner with her sister tonight.

It had been years since they had actually sat down and had dinner together, much less with their significant others there.

_Wait...what?_ Lightning stopped in the middle of the hall at this revelation. The feelings she had for Vanille were strong, but they were nothing more than friends.

Picking up her pace, the pink haired woman couldn't stop her mind from racing; she was beginning to panic a little.

_You took a bullet for her. Friends don't do things like that._ The more Lightning thought about it the less and less she was sure.

_How did I let this happen?_ The soldier had worked very hard to keep herself emotionally shut off from everyone. Now, this woman, in less than a month, had waltzed in and ruined her efforts. _Technically, you carried her in_ , the voice in her head reminded her.

Vanille was a very beautiful woman, she'd admit that, but the idea that they were in a relationship was ridiculous. Yet, there was no one else who used her real name, not even her sister did that. Shaking her head, she decided to pick apart this information later.

She was simply walking around the halls of Garden, not really paying attention to where she was going when something warm on the bare part of her right arm stopped her.

* * *

Reaching out her hand, the red head gently grabbed the soldier's wrist to stop her from walking further away. Lightning was slightly startled at the contact but relaxed when she saw that it was Vanille.

"Hiya, took the afternoon off?" the red head asked, flashing a bright smile and looking all around perky. The anxiousness was apparent on the General's face; the idea of talking to her sister was probably stressing her out. After all, they hadn't had a real conversation in a year. Sure, they had spoken a little bit a week ago, but now they were really going to have to talk to each other.

"Yea, I couldn't focus," Lightning admitted, feeling relieved to have been found by the only person who could calm her nerves. Vanille searched the soldier's ice blue eyes and had an idea. Grinning to herself, she slid her hand down Lightning's arm and grasped her fingers, pulling her towards the Training Center.

Despite her confusion, Lightning allowed herself to be led by the red head through the doors and deep into the Training Center. Not many people could get all the way through to the secret area, which was where they were heading.

Vanille felt no fear as she followed the path. Nothing bad could happen to her while she was with the pink haired woman. She would never consider even stepping foot in here if she was by herself, but with the General there she felt completely safe.

As they walked, one or two monsters peaked out at them from the bushes but all Lightning had to do was reach for her gun blade and they made themselves scarce. Having no real obstacles, they came to the secret area in a matter of minutes and when they got there it was completely empty.

Climbing the short staircase, Vanille approached the balcony and leaned over. It felt different than last time; probably because it was brighter with the afternoon sun shining over them.

* * *

Lightning slowly climbed the stairs, watching Vanille's eyelids slide closed as she soaked up the warm sun. Arriving at the top, the pink haired woman approached the balcony, leaned forward, and rested her elbows on the railing.

It felt nice just being here, not saying anything, enjoying each other's presence. Every once in a while Lightning would glance over at the other woman and admire her appearance.

Vanille looked serene as she stood there in her cadet uniform. Sometime during their walk she had taken off the jacket of it and a white, v-neck, short-sleeve t-shirt and the blue, knee-length uniform skirt is what she wore now. Hanging the jacket of her uniform over the railing, the red head pulled the ties out of her hair and let it fall, running her fingers through it to tame the unruly curls.

As Lightning watched this, she could officially no longer deny that she found this woman extremely attractive. The t-shirt and skirt clung to her, showing off all of her curves and not leaving much to the imagination. Letting her eyes travel up to the woman's face, Lightning explored her features; her soft jaw line, the long eyelashes, the curve of her ear, her _lips._

_What is wrong with me?_ Lightning thought incredulously to herself. Discovering that she was attracted to the L'Cie woman had taken her a long time. Now that she knew it, she wasn't sure if she should act on it.

This woman had been through so much and Lightning didn't even know if she felt the same way. Taking another glance in Vanille's direction, the soldier was surprised to see the woman looking at her.

Vanille quickly pretended as if she hadn't been staring, but a tell-tale blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. Lightning felt her chest tighten at this and for once she knew why.

Standing up straight, the pink haired woman took a step towards Vanille and gathered her courage. There was no sense in trying to deny how she felt now.

"Vanille...," Lightning began, staring into green eyes.

* * *

Vanille met the soldier's eyes and admired the hundreds of shades of blue she saw there. From the looks of it, Lightning wanted to say something important. The taller woman almost always had a serious expression on her face, but this was different somehow.

Lightning appeared to have given up on words because she looked down and gently intertwined their fingers together. Vanille wasn't sure what was going on in the soldier's brain but she wasn't about to say anything for fear that she would come to her senses and pull away.

Raising her eyes to Vanille's again, the General seemed to have made a decision. Very slowly Lightning lowered her face downwards and the red head became temporarily paralyzed.

_Is she going to do what I think she is going to do?_ Vanille's question was soon answered when Lightning's lips brushed against her own in the lightest of kisses. Unable to fully comprehend what was going on, Vanille simply let her eyelids slide closed and enjoyed the sensations coursing through her.

Feeling that the soldier was going to pull away, the red head reached her hand up and buried it in the soft hair on the back of Lightning's head. Preventing the other woman from retreating, Vanille felt bold and returned the kiss with more vigor.

For some reason, she never imagined the soldier's lips to be this soft, but they were. How could someone so strong be capable of such a gentle kiss?

It felt as though Vanille's whole body had fallen asleep and gone all tingly. Her knees were becoming weak, and as if sensing this, Lightning wrapped her strong arms around her waist to support her.

Letting go of everything, Vanille got lost in the feeling of Lightning. Sliding her other hand up, she wrapped both her arms around the soldier's neck, allowing their bodies to touch.

After a while, her brain began to catch up with what was going on and she slowly pulled away from the pink haired woman.

Unable to stop the grin that spread across her face, Vanille clasped her hands in front of herself and looked shyly up at the soldier. She couldn't believe what had just happened, but she prayed that Lightning didn't apologize.

* * *

Lightning reached up a hand and, using only her fingertips, gently pushed Vanille's bangs to the side, only to watch them stubbornly fall back into place. Instead of pulling away her hand away, she rested it on the side of her face. It was now or never.

"Vanille, I...I care about you a lot," Lightning rushed, trying to spit it out before she lost her nerve. Chancing a glance at the other woman, she could tell that Vanille hadn't been expecting these words.

"I care about you too, Claire," Vanille replied softly, and as usual, her heart beat sped up at the use of her real name. The way the red head said it made it sound so intimate, and Lightning allowed herself to enjoy the feeling.

"This is new to me...," the soldier could no longer hold the intense gaze Vanille was giving her right now, so she looked away. It was the red head's turn to raise a hand to guide Lightning's face back so she could search her eyes.

"You're doing a pretty good job," Vanille blurted, then looked away embarrassedly. This brought a smile to Lightning's face and gave her the courage to continue.

"I don't want to pretend like this never happened," the soldier admitted. This was too important to forget, and saying it out loud made her feel very vulnerable.

"Me neither," Vanille took a step towards the taller woman, and as if on instinct Lightning snaked her arms around her small waist. Pulling her close, the soldier's heart skipped a beat when Vanille kissed her cheek and rested her head on her chest.

The sky was beginning to darken and Vanille was the first to break the silence.

* * *

"Claire?" Vanille murmured to get the other woman's attention.

"Mhmm?" the pink haired woman hummed, affirming that she was indeed listening.

"What time is dinner?" the red head asked, and Lightning was immediately snapped back to reality. She had almost forgotten about dinner with her sister, and she said the first thing that came to mind,

"Shit!"


	12. Family Dinner

Bursting into her dorm room, Vanille quickly began getting ready; making sure every detail of her appearance was perfect. Her and Lightning had sprinted from the Training Center when they realized they were going to be late for dinner with Serah and Snow, and they only had about thirty minutes to get there.

She was almost ready when there was a knock on her door. While finishing putting her earrings in, Vanille rushed over to open it and she would never forget what she saw on the other side.

There, in her doorway, stood Lightning. Not in her usual soldier garb, but in a little black dress with thin black straps and black heels. It fit her extremely snugly which drew Vanille's thoughts to the toned body underneath. Mentally reprimanding herself, she took in the rest of Lightning's appearance.

Her pink hair fell delicately across her eyes, as usual, and down her left shoulder. Vanille had the overwhelming desire to run her fingers through it, but restrained herself. The dress fell just above her. It fit her so well that Vanille could see every individual abdominal muscle on her flat stomach. The heels accentuated her toned calves and made the soldier even taller. Just as her eyes were about to travel upwards, she chastised herself for ogling Lightning's body and averted her eyes guiltily.

* * *

Seeing that Vanille wasn't going to regain speech anytime soon, Lightning teased her a little,

"Just because I'm a soldier, doesn't mean I can't wear a dress." The red head looked startled at having been caught staring and a deep blush crept up her neck.

"You look...I mean...wow," Vanille managed to squeak out. Lightning couldn't help but feel pleased at the red head's approval of her attire. _Mission accomplished_ , she thought triumphantly.

"Ready to go?" She asked, putting a hand on her hip, trying to look impatient. The truth was, Lightning was just as distracted by Vanille's attire.

The smaller woman had opted for a white, halter-top dress that flowed slightly past her knees. She was absolutely gorgeous, in Lightning's opinion. Coming to her senses, she offered Vanille her hand to lead her to the parking lot.

The red head flashed a dazzling smile and took her outstretched hand, while shutting the door behind her.

They walked in silence for a few minutes when Lightning finally spoke the words she'd been meaning to say since she laid eyes on Vanille in that dress.

"You look...amazing," Lightning complimented, once more gazing at the beautiful woman beside her. Her red hair was partially pulled back with two pins on either side of her head but those stubborn bangs remained free. The soldier's fingers were itching to push her bangs behind her ear, but once again, she contained the urge.

The all-too-familiar flush was creeping back onto Vanille's face and Lightning couldn't stop the surge of pleasure she felt at being able to make the woman blush.

Entering the parking lot, Lightning led Vanille to one of the nicer Garden cars and opened the door for her. Not letting go of her hand until she was completely in the vehicle, Lightning shut the door behind her, walked to the other side, and climbed in. Starting the car, she looked at the time and knew that if she hurried they would make it to dinner only a few minutes late.

As they pulled out of Garden, reality began to sink in for Lightning and the nervousness about having dinner with her sister set in again. What if there was nothing to talk about? What if she really was still mad at her? Every worst possible scenario kept running through her head until her mind was wiped clean by a warm hand on her arm.

Taking a quick glance to her right, she saw Vanille giving her an encouraging smile. Without warning the red head leaned over and softly planted a kiss on Lightning's exposed shoulder. Whatever had been going through her mind before was now history. That intimate gesture was enough to keep Lightning's mind occupied for the rest of the trip.

Soon enough they arrived at the restaurant; it was a pretty nice place but not overly fancy. Parking the car, Lightning made to get out and open Vanille's door, but the other woman wouldn't have it, so she placated herself by offering a hand to her.

* * *

Slipping her hand into Lightning's, Vanille allowed herself to be escorted into the restaurant. To the red head, this place seemed like a high end restaurant since she had been living on a diet of hot dogs and soda for the past few weeks.

As they entered, Lightning asked the host something she couldn't hear, but she guessed it was where Serah was sitting. Sure enough, the man led them to a table where a young pink haired woman in a classy, light blue dress was deep in conversation with a large blonde man in all black. Vanille recognized the younger Farron sister instantly but was surprised to see Snow without his usual bandana. _He must be really trying to make a good impression_ , she thought amusedly.

Glancing up, Serah smiled and stood up to greet them and Snow soon followed. Vanille reluctantly released Lightning's hand so she could receive a hug from her sister and was shocked when she got one too.

"Sorry, we're late," Lightning apologized, apparently didn't feel the need to explain exactly why they were a bit tardy and Vanille was very grateful for that.

"Oh, not at all, we actually just got here too," Serah reassured her older sister with a warm smile and a glance back at Snow.

_Well that wasn't so bad,_ Vanille thought to herself as she took a seat next to Lightning. For a few moments there was an awkward silence among them, but Snow quickly broke the ice.

"It's good to see you again, Light. You know, now that I can see through my eye again," Snow joked, referring to the black eye she gave him mere weeks ago. Lightning had the decency to look guilty, but she couldn't hide the smirk that crept onto her face.

"You really need to learn how to block," Lightning retorted light-heartedly and Serah snorted into her water. Snow feigned a look of indignation and continued the banter,

"I would've blocked.., but you hit me." Vanille was deeply amused by the friendly teasing between the two when she knew how they had really felt about each other not too long ago. She was fairly certain that when Lightning gave him that black eye, she had meant it.

From the corner of her eye, Vanille could see Serah staring at her intently as if wanting to ask her something.

_What would she want to ask me?_ Vanille wondered and continued listening to the conversation around her.

"So, you're living in Trabia Garden?" Lightning asked, directing her question at Serah who hadn't been paying attention.

"Oh yea, It didn't seem worth it to buy a house when Fang offered us a perfectly nice place to stay. It's a pretty big dorm too; almost like a condo," Serah replied, just as the waiter arrived to take their orders.

Upon hearing Fang's name, Vanille's ears perked up a little. She never had the chance to really catch up with her old friend. Obviously, she must be doing okay if she was the Commander of a Garden, but the red head was still curious.

Once the waiter had left, Lightning straightened up and asked,

"Does Trabia Garden allow family visits?" Serah smiled at her sister and nodded her head slowly. It obviously meant a lot to her that her sister wanted to be a part of her life now.

The night went on and the conversation was light and friendly; Lightning seemed to have become more comfortable and even allowed Serah to tell stories of their childhood.

"I remember when I was about six years old; Light took me to the mall without Mom's permission. Keep in mind, she was only nine or ten at the time. She turned away for only a second and I had climbed in the elevator. This mall was huge with lots of levels, so naturally I was headed straight for the top floor. When Light realized where I was she ran up like ten flights of stairs and beat me to the top; she hadn't even broken a sweat," Serah mused.

Vanille looked over at Lightning and tried to picture the pink haired woman as a child. The image of a tiny girl with unruly pink hair, running to save her sister was conjured up in her mind and it brought a smile to her face.

Not long after that, their food came and the conversation was interrupted as they ate. Serah still stole glances at Vanille as if something was on the tip of her tongue but she wasn't sure if she should say anything. Evidently making up her mind, she asked,

"How long have you two been dating?"

Lightning choked loudly on her food in surprise and had to quickly drink some water to soothe her throat. Vanille had figured that this question would eventually come up so she answered honestly.

"A few hours now," she replied with a smile. Serah laughed and Snow looked just as shocked as Lightning did. Vanille looked over at Lightning and knew that she didn't really mind finally admitting they were in a relationship.

"Wow, I would have thought much longer than that," Serah commented more to herself than to Vanille. Lightning finally recovered and stared incredulously from Serah to Vanille as if she had never seen either of them before. The soldier looked as if she was about to say something but her sister redirected the conversation once again.

"We've been invited to Tidus and Yuna's wedding. Will I see you there?" the question seemed to be directed at Lightning, but Vanille could see that the younger Farron sister was trying to gauge how serious their relationship was.

"We'll be there," Lightning affirmed, unaware that her sister had just gotten the information she needed in the simple use of the word, 'we' instead of 'I.'

"Good. Well, I think it's time we head back. We leave for Trabia tomorrow morning and I'll need all the sleep I can get for the journey," Serah said, standing up from the table.

"Of course...It was really nice seeing you again, Serah," Lightning told her sincerely, standing up from the table as well.

"It was good to see you too, Light," Serah affirmed, drawing her sister into a hug. Turning to Vanille, she gave her a hug too and whispered in her ear,

"You're good for her."

Staring at Serah as she pulled away, Vanille wasn't quite sure she understood what she meant by that statement. Deciding not to question it, she simply nodded to the other woman and watched as she and Snow left.

Lightning stepped forward and placed her hand lightly on the small of Vanille's back. The feather light touch caused a chill to run up the red head's spine, so she snuggled into the soldier's side, leaning into her for warmth.

* * *

Lightning's heart pounded from being this close to Vanille. Wanting to return the gesture, the pink haired woman pulled her closer and placed a soft kiss on top of the woman's head.

Since it was beginning to get late the General walked Vanille to the car and once again held the door open for her as she stepped in.

As they drove back to Garden, Lightning's mind replayed the night in her mind. Worrying all day had been pointless, Serah had wanted nothing more than to put the past behind them and have her sister in her life again. Lightning was more than happy to oblige, letting go of the guilt she had held for over a year.

Looking away from the road for only a moment, Lightning was able to get a good look at Vanille. The red headed woman looked so carefree sitting there in her white dress, with her legs crossed, bouncing her foot up and down.

She could hardly believe that only mere hours ago she had actually kissed Vanille. It was a rare occasion when the soldier allowed herself to act on her feelings, and she was so glad she had this time. Kissing Vanille had felt so right and Lightning had never experienced something that was so natural.

Pulling into the parking lot at Garden, Lightning and Vanille stepped out of the car and made their way into the hall. The soldier missed Vanille's touch already so she reached out a hand to her. Accepting it, the red head walked beside her, smiling happily to herself.

It was well past curfew so they were completely alone in the halls and Lightning wasn't really in a rush to get back to her dorm. Being with Vanille made her feel more relaxed than she had in a long time. She didn't have to be the stoic soldier that she normally was around everyone else and that was extremely refreshing.

Looking over at Vanille, Lightning couldn't help the happiness that swept through her. Being in a relationship with this woman wasn't so bad. She could get used to this.

* * *

Too soon they arrived at Vanille's dorm, but she wasn't ready to leave Lightning's presence quite yet.

Vanille turned and stood face to face with the soldier, looking up slightly to the taller woman. Meeting her blue eyes with her green ones she complimented,

"Your sister seems really nice." At the mention of Serah, Lightning eyes glazed over and she became lost in thought for a moment.

"She's always been a kind person. Hard to believe we're related, huh?" the soldier mused, only half-joking.

"Don't be silly! You're nice...," Vanille started, and when Lightning gave her a look of disbelief, finished with, "...to me."

Lightning let her head fall and smiled to herself, deeply amused by being called nice. Tilting her head sideways and glancing up at Vanille through her bangs, Lightning felt a rush affection for the woman.

If it hadn't been for Vanille, she probably wouldn't have been able to apologize to her sister in the first place. Lightning knew it was cliché but the red head made her feel like everything would be okay. It was a strange and different feeling for the soldier; typically, she felt that if things were going to get better she was going to have to make them that way herself or ignore the problem all together.

The pink haired woman was startled out of her reverie by a feather-light touch on her face from Vanille. The red head was softly tracing the soldier's jaw line with the very tips of her fingers. Lightning couldn't remember having felt such a tender gesture in her whole life.

The younger woman's fingers continued their journey along Lightning's features; over her forehead, down the slope of her nose, and finally, across her lips. The soldier was frozen in place, partly because she didn't want Vanille to stop and partly because she couldn't muster the strength to.

Closing her eyes, Lightning let herself be completely vulnerable to the red head, physically and emotionally. Soon the pink haired woman felt warm breath on her lips and could sense Vanille's closeness. The anticipation was maddening for her, but she waited for the smaller woman to make a move. She was rewarded seconds later when Vanille pressed her lips to Lightning's in a timid kiss.

Taking the cue, Lightning deepened the kiss while wrapping her arms around Vanille's narrow waist and pulling her closer. The red head ran her fingers through the soldier's hair making Lightning feel a little light-headed.

Not wanting to push Vanille too far so soon, Lightning unwillingly pulled away, holding the woman at arm's length so she could look at her better.

"It's getting late, you should probably go to bed," Lightning suggested, seeing the tiredness in Vanille's eyes.

"You're probably right. Will I see you tomorrow?" The red head couldn't contain the yawn that followed her question. It had been a long week of classes, but today had been especially eventful and it had nothing to do with cadet training.

"Of course," Lightning affirmed, causing a sleepy smile to appear on Vanille's face.

Making a decision in her brain, the soldier reached behind her neck and carefully unclasped her lightning-shaped necklace that she always wore. Being in a relationship with someone she actually cared about was unfamiliar territory for her, but she wanted to give Vanille something to show her affection.

"I got this in Balamb when I first came to Garden and I changed my name," Lightning explained, holding the necklace by the lightning pendent and then giving it to Vanille.

"Wow, this is beautiful...," the red head said so quietly it was almost a whisper. Upon hearing this, it reaffirmed the soldier's decision.

"I want you to have it," Lightning said, gauging Vanille's reaction to this statement. Her green eyes snapped to the General's blue ones and gave her a questioning look.

"But...," the red head couldn't seem to think of anything to retort with, so she simply looked back down at the necklace in awe.

"I'm not much of a jewelry person anyway," Lightning assured, nonchalantly, gently taking the pendent from Vanille. She walked behind her and softly pushed the red hair to the side, letting her fingertips graze the back of the smaller woman's neck. Goosebumps appeared all over Vanille's skin from the sensitive touch and Lightning unclasped the hook. Bringing it around the smaller woman's neck, she clipped it back together and set it back down against her neck.

Lightning walked back around Vanille to see her holding a hand to the lightning pendent with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Lightning reminded her, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to Vanille's forehead. She turned away smiling, leaving the red head standing their looking completely dumbfounded.


	13. Survivors

_Dammit! This had to happen on the one day I get to spend entirely with Vanille_ , Lightning thought bitterly.

Students and soldiers alike were hurrying to get out of her way as she practically stomped through the halls. Just looking at her, they could tell that she was on a war path and none of them were keen to get in her way.

Lightning just prayed that the red head was in her room because she didn't have time to look for her anywhere else. Arriving at the dorms, the General knocked sharply on Vanille's door, waiting anxiously for a minute. After trying one more time, her heart fell in disappointment at not being able to see the red head. If she had seen her just once today it would have made everything bearable. Unfortunately, the pink haired woman didn't have time to go around looking for her, so she headed back to the elevator.

Once the pink haired woman was alone in the elevator, she squeezed her eyes closed and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Yesterday had been absolutely perfect. She had finally realized her feelings for Vanille and actually acted on them. All she had wanted out of her Saturday was to be with Vanille but that was now impossible.

Squall had called an emergency meeting of all the highest ranking soldiers, and it wasn't a request, it was an order. Apparently, Trabia's scouts, Rikku and Paine, had some information regarding Galbadia and the Commander wanted everyone there in order to hear it. Their usual meetings with Fang and Snow were during the week, so whatever they had to say must be relatively important.

The elevator arrived at the top floor and Lightning stepped out into Squall's office. It was full of people, some she recognized and a few she didn't. Squall was pacing behind his desk with his head down in thought, dark hair hiding his face. Fang and Snow were a few feet away; the tattooed woman with a hand on her hip in impatience, Snow with his arms folded looking exhausted. _I guess he didn't have a chance to get back to Trabia_ , Lightning realized, feeling a little bad for him. Cloud and Tidus were there as usual, they both seemed anxious, but Cloud hid it well, unlike Tidus who was tapping his foot in anticipation.

Two women she didn't recognize, who had to be Rikku and Paine, were standing directly in front of Squall's desk. The shorter one was blonde and wore very little clothing, and the ones she did were eccentric and colorful. The other woman was slightly taller with short gray hair that fell in front of her eyes; her clothes were made almost completely of black leather and a large sword hung at her side.

Lightning's eyes slid around the room and finally they fell on a person in the corner... _Vanille!_

_What is she doing here? What is this about?_ The pink haired woman's mind was racing. She wanted to ask all of these questions but she knew it wasn't the time or the place, so she did her best to ignore the red head's presence. This was an impossible task but she did her best.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized emotionlessly, taking her place beside Cloud and Tidus. Squall looked up and immediately stopped his pacing, sitting down at his desk.

"It's all right. Let's begin," the Commander said shortly, obviously frustrated with her tardiness but unwillingly to waste anymore time.

"Finally," Fang scoffed, folding her arms and casting a glance at Lightning. Unfazed by their impatience, the soldier merely stood there, waiting to hear what they had to say. Turning back to the blonde woman, Fang addressed her,

"Go ahead, Rikku." The woman nodded and looked nervous at being singled out, but was able to covey her information to the group.

"Paine and I found survivors. They're in hiding in Deling City," Rikku didn't need to say anything else. Everyone in the room knew exactly what she was talking about. Lightning's blue eyes narrowed and she couldn't stop her gaze from flashing back to Vanille to gauge her emotions.

Vanille didn't seem surprised by this piece of information, but looked sad with a smallest glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Lightning looked around at the other's reactions and noticed that only a few people looked shocked to hear this. Cloud and Tidus had apparently not heard this as well as Snow, but Fang, Squall, Rikku, and Paine were thoughtful, as if already planning what to do.

_How could Vanille know already?_ The pink haired soldier, once again let her eyes fall on Vanille and saw the pain on her beautiful face. _Why is she here?_ Lightning wanted to comfort the woman very badly, but she could do nothing in front of all these people.

Anger flared up in Lightning as she wondered who insisted Vanille be here for this conversation. They didn't know the suffering she had gone through at the hands of Galbadia and they were just going to get her hopes up telling her there were survivors. The chances of them being people she knew were slim to none.

"We need to form a rescue mission immediately. We can't let any more L'Cie lives be taken," Fang declared, to nods of approval from the group of Trabians. Being a L'Cie herself, Fang had to feel particularly strongly about this, but it needed to be thought through carefully.

"Rushing in there won't do us any good. Look what happened last time," Tidus pointed out, trying to be reasonable. This riled up Fang even more, making her uncross her arms and pull her hands into fists at her sides.

"So we should just wait until the Galbadians have murdered every last L'Cie. Make a clean job of it?" she practically yelled, her thick accent making her angry words harder to understand.

"That's not what Tidus is saying. The reason the Galbadians decided to hurry up and...execute...the L'Cie last time was because they knew we were planning an attack. We can't let that happen again," Cloud reminded, keeping his cool as he defended his comrade. Mastering her emotions, Fang shook her head slowly in disbelief and retorted,

"You didn't have Trabia on your side last time and Seifer is dead," at these words, Vanille quickly looked away in shame causing a pain to shoot through Lightning's chest, but Fang continued unaware,

"If we use our airship, we can get in, rescue the survivors, and get out of there more quickly. Galbadia will be expecting an attack, so we create a diversion while we get the L'Cie out of there."

Squall finally looked up at the tall, brunette woman and nodded, making his decision.

"All right. How soon can your soldiers be ready?" he asked, already preparing battle plans in his brain.

"If Snow leaves now, He can take the airship and be back here with them by tonight," she asserted confidently, satisfied that they were going to take action.

"Then we'll attack tomorrow morning," Squall decided, nodding to Fang who seemed to approve. Snow took his cue and left through the elevator, leaving everyone else to strategize.

"Let's plan this thing," Fang finally sat down at Squall's desk, ready to save her people.

Lightning had remained silent this entire time, and she continued to listen as they made their plans, not offering anything. The truth was, she agreed with attacking Galbadia again, but it was hard to concentrate when Vanille was in the same room.

The red head was obviously in great emotional pain from having to listen to all these people talk about surviving L'Cie when so many had not. The General had been in the town square and seen the bodies. She had seen the brands Galbadia had given them, marking them for death just because they were from Gran Pulse. But most of all, Lightning had listened to Vanille's story of what those disgusting Galbadian soldiers had done to her.

Temporarily pushing her anger aside, Lightning devoted all her attention to the red head across the room.

Seeing Vanille in this much pain was agony for the soldier. All Lightning wanted to do was to take the woman in her arms and tell her it was going to be okay; she would do anything to make her stop hurting.

"Vanille knows the area like the back of her hand, she can come and help us navigate through lesser known routes," Fang's voice cut through the soldier's thoughts and Lightning's eyes shot to her instantly.

There was no way she could be serious. Taking Vanille back near the people who had tortured her was cruel, not to mention, dangerous.

"No," Lightning interjected, speaking for the first time which caused everyone in the room to look at her.

"Why not? If I'm not mistaken, she lived in Deling City for a few years. I'm confident in her abilities, aren't you?" Fang explained, narrowing her eyes at the General. Of course Lightning didn't doubt Vanille's capabilities, but there was no reason to put her in harm's way.

"She's not a soldier and she's not a tool for you to use. Taking her to Galbadia is out of the question," Lightning practically growled. Her blue eyes were like ice as she glared at the woman. Never in her career had she talked to a higher ranking officer like that, but Lightning felt no remorse whatsoever.

"She's extremely capable and her knowledge could be invaluable to the mission," Fang replied, staring unwaveringly at the pink haired woman. Fire rose in Lightning's chest at her nonchalance about Vanille's safety.

"If she were to be caught, Galbadia would have no mercy on her. I'm not willing to risk her life like that," Lightning finished firmly. She was outranked by this woman, but the General was not going to give up without a fight.

"I think it's her decision whether she wants to help save her people or not," Fang stated, directing her attention to the red head in the corner of the room. Lightning couldn't believe this. Did she not care about Vanille at all? Weren't they friends back in Gran Pulse?

"I want to help," the red head spoke up, stepping closer to the circle of soldiers. Lightning felt as though she had been slapped. Was she the only one who thought this was insane?

"Vanille, you don't have to-," Lightning began desperately as she quelled the desire to reach out a hand to her. She was quickly interrupted by the red head though.

"I want to. These are people like me, who have suffered at the hands of Galbadia. This can't go on. You're right. I'm not a soldier, but I can help," Vanille's voice was confident but her eyes were swimming with unshed tears.

Lightning finally realized why she had spent so many years pushing people away and not getting close to anyone. Seeing the woman she cared about so much in agony like this was almost physically painful for her. All of sudden, Vanille looked so fragile standing there and Lightning couldn't bear the thought of not being able to protect her.

"Then it's settled," Fang said with finality, turning back to Squall. Meanwhile, Lightning was fuming, but she bit her tongue and said nothing while they planned the attack on Galbadia for tomorrow.

Cloud and Tidus were going to lead their troops along with most of Trabia's soldiers into the heart of Deling City and attack the Presidential Residence as a diversion. Lightning and Snow were going with Vanille into the underground sewers, where the remaining L'Cie were in hiding. Already, Squall had ordered medical supplies to be mustered and dorms cleared for potential new arrivals to Garden.

The only thing that was keeping Lightning from speaking up again was the fact that Vanille was going to be with her on the mission. It was a rare occasion when the General had no say in strategy but Fang seemed adamant about risking Vanille's life. There was one thing that was certain: Vanille was not going to leave her sight.

They were there for hours, making sure every detail was perfect. People kept coming in and out when they were needed as the sun slowly set. Rinoa had even come by to help arrange for medics and more than likely to check on Squall as well who looked exhausted.

Lightning had barely moved this entire time, shifting her weight occasionally as she stood. Looking around, she noticed that Vanille had fallen asleep in a nearby chair which seemed terribly uncomfortable.

The soldier was still torn. This woman would be in harm's way unnecessarily if she came with them on the mission, but if there was anyone who had a right to be there it was Vanille. After everything she had been through, it was understandable that she wanted to help, but that didn't make it any easier for the General to accept.

"I'm going to escort her back to her dorm," Lightning finally spoke up, nodding her head at Vanille. She understood that this mission was extremely important but there was no reason for the red head to be there any longer. No one argued, so she took that as confirmation.

Walking the short distance across the room, the soldier knelt beside the chair Vanille was sleeping in. Her chest gently rose and fell with each breath and her lips were slightly parted causing the desire to kiss her to rise up in Lightning. Placing a gentle hand to the woman's arm, she whispered,

"Vanille...wake up." The red head couldn't have been sleeping very deeply because she blinked open her eyes a moment later.

* * *

Vanille could hear her name, through the fog of sleep and recognized the low, feminine voice as Lightning's. Forcing her eyes slowly open, she remembered where she was and instantly felt guilty at having dozed off.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep," Vanille apologized, sitting up straight immediately. This was very important and she should be paying more attention.

Standing up, Lightning almost offered her hand to the red head but apparently thought better of it in present company and let it drop back to her side.

"I'm going to take you back to your dorm," Lightning said simply. Vanille glanced around at everyone and saw that her presence wasn't required any longer. She gazed back up at the soldier in front of her and nodded. She stood up and followed Lightning to the elevator. Once they were inside and the doors closed, the pink haired woman turned and gently grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing the red head to look her in the eyes.

"Vanille, don't let Fang guilt you into helping us with this mission. It's too dangerous. We can manage without you," Lightning was almost begging her. It hurt to not be trusted by the pink haired woman, but Vanille could see the fear in her eyes. Lightning wasn't trying to insult her, but it was starting to feel that way.

"I have to help, Claire. These are my people. I don't want any more L'Cie to suffer. I can do this, trust me," she pleaded. The horrors she had witnessed in Galbadia came rushing back to her and made her feel light-headed. All of the people who were branded, tortured, and killed just for being different died in vain, but Vanille wanted to do everything in her power to help those still trapped.

"You're not a soldier!" Lightning raised her voice and seemed to immediately regret it, so she quickly backtracked,

"Vanille, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-."

"I know I'm not as strong as you, but that doesn't mean I'm weak," Vanille could hear the hurt in her own voice and swallowed a lump that had developed in her throat. Lightning lowered her eyes in shame.

"If you get hurt...I...," Lightning's low voice was husky with emotion, but at that moment the doors to the elevator opened onto the first floor.

Vanille's heart pounded painfully. Had it really been less than twenty four hours since they had kissed? Everything had been so wonderful yesterday. She stepped out of the elevator but turned when she noticed that Lightning hadn't followed her.

"I have to go back up...I'll see you tomorrow," Lightning said, unable to meet the red head's eyes. Vanille wanted nothing more than for Lightning to stay with her. She regretted accusing the woman of not trusting her, but there was no time to apologize. The doors were already beginning to close and the soldier finally met her eyes for a split second.

Vanille could see the walls already going back up around Lightning's heart as the metal doors shut, separating them.


	14. Deling City

Darkness consumed the large room, but the pink haired woman had no desire to turn on the lights. She sat on the edge of her bed with her knuckles pressed into her forehead in concentration. They'd all be assembling to go to Deling City soon, but Lightning didn't need to get ready. She hadn't slept all night so she was still in yesterday's clothes. The only thing she really needed was her gun blade anyway.

Giving up on getting any sleep, Lightning let her mind wander to a certain red headed woman down the hall. The General knew that she had hurt Vanille's feelings, but her instinct to protect the woman was so overwhelming. She would choose Vanille's safety over her affection any day.

Yet, Lightning realized that she had no right to tell Vanille that she couldn't go. She had to admit that, never having been to Deling City, she could be searching for hours without the red head's knowledge of the area. There'd be a diversion anyway, so they wouldn't even be part of the fighting. Not to mention, she of all people had a right to help her fellow L'Cie escape the suffering she had faced.

Nausea swept over her as her mind conjured up horrific images of Vanille being raped and tortured by Galbadian soldiers. Lightning had to suppress the urge to cry out as a particularly brutal scene appeared in her mind's eye. She couldn't take this.

Standing up, she left her dorm room, pausing a moment to let her eyes adjust to the hall lights. Once her vision was clear the soldier slowly made her way down the hall and approached Vanille's door. Knocking softly, Lightning lowered her eyes in anticipation of what she was about to do.

A sleepy Vanille opened the door, squinting and raising a hand to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness. A few seconds later her mouth fell open in surprise at who was standing in front of her.

"Claire...I thought...," the red head began timidly, apparently incapable of coherent speech. Seeing a bleary-eyed Vanille standing there in nothing but pajama shorts and a baggy tank top was incredibly distracting for the pink haired woman but she persevered. Collecting her thoughts, Lightning dragged her eyes up to Vanille's with much difficulty.

"Vanille, I want to apologize," Lightning began, having to avert her eyes from the green one's that were boring into her now.

Suddenly, the wind was almost knocked out of her when the red head flung herself at her middle, squeezing her arms around her tightly.

The pink haired woman was shocked, she hadn't even begun her apology and already Vanille had seemed to have forgiven her. Her mind finally caught up and she held the red head closely to her chest, stroking her hair. Relief flooded through her body and she allowed herself to relax into the woman's arms.

"I know you're not weak," Lightning had to get these words out before she lost her nerve.

The red head simply nuzzled deeper into the soldier's neck. Her warm breath and the thought of her lips that close to her exposed neck was extremely distracting.

"I want you to go on the mission," the General forced herself to say as her heart beat out of her chest. Vanille's head shot up and she looked up into her eyes, her brow furrowed in confusion. Lightning opened her mouth to continue, but at that moment someone came around the corner. The two women jumped apart quickly like two guilty teenagers, only to see that it was just Zell.

He paused as he came around the corner glancing up and seeing them both frozen in place about a foot apart.

"Oh good, I caught both of you. Commander Leonhart wants everyone in his office for the final preparations," Zell informed them.

"All right, we'll be there in a minute," Lightning confirmed.

Zell looked from one woman to the other and decided to be tactful and not say anything about their odd behavior.

"Okaaaay, see you later," and with that he walked quickly down the hall to other dorms.

* * *

Once Zell had left, Vanille turned her body to face Lightning completely, but still unwilling to risk physical contact again.

"Vanille, the truth is...I'm selfish. I didn't want you to go because _I_ was scared, but there's no way I'd be able to do this mission without your help," admitted Lightning as she took a deep breath and struggled with her words. Vanille gazed into her eyes and could tell that everything she was saying was sincere. Vanille couldn't believe that Lightning had actually come to apologize and wanted her to go on the mission.

"Claire, what were you scared of?" Vanille had a hard time believing this hardened soldier could be afraid of anything, but she had never seen the pink haired woman this upset.

"I...I won't let them touch you again," Lightning promised quietly, unable to meet her forest green eyes directly.

Vanille finally understood. Throwing caution to the wind, she stepped forward and buried her face into the taller woman's shoulder, allowing herself to be enveloped in a tight embrace by Lightning.

Remembering that they had to go, Vanille reluctantly pulled away and looked up at the woman. She could tell by the look in Lightning's eyes that she knew it was time as well.

"Everything will be okay," the red head reassured, giving her a small smile. The pink haired woman nodded, and held out her hand to Vanille, making their way towards the elevator hand in hand.

* * *

It was still dark when all of the soldiers assembled in the Quad to board Ragnarok, Trabia's airship. Almost everyone was in except for Squall, Fang, Lightning, and Snow, who were making sure all were present and accounted for before they took off.

Fang strode onto Ragnarok and the General briefly wondered what her and Vanille's relationship had been back on Gran Pulse. They seemed pretty familiar with each other, but Fang had said that they were friends. Pushing these irrelevant thoughts from her mind, she made a mental note to ask Vanille about them later.

The rest of them boarded the airship, Fang and Squall heading for the cockpit and Lightning and Snow opting for the passenger room. There were so many soldiers that they had to be put in the hangar and didn't get seats like the higher ranked soldiers did. Thankfully it was a short trip in the airship and they wouldn't have to stand for very long.

Lightning took a seat next to Vanille, who had also been allowed in the passenger room, presumably by Fang. Turning her head to the side, she could see the nervousness start to appear on Vanille's face. Lightning tried to block out her own nerves about taking Vanille back into the place she had been traumatized, but failed miserably.

The engines roared to life and the airship shook a little as it lifted itself into the air. It was pitch black outside as it was only about four in the morning, but the pilot knew where he was going. As soon as they were high enough, the airship lurched forward quickly; forcing Lightning and Vanille into their head rests.

It took less than fifteen minutes to reach the continent of Galbadia, but Deling City was on the far west coast so they still had some time.

Trying to be discreet as possible, Lightning set her hand on Vanille's arm rest and softy brush her fingers against the red head's hand. She had surprised woman, but she didn't recoil; the opposite in fact. Vanille grabbed her hand and released it so that no one would notice, but Lightning had come to a conclusion at that moment.

It felt good to be with Vanille, she shouldn't have to hide that. Retaking her hand, Lightning interlaced their fingers and held them tight. The red head didn't pull away this time and instead smiled happily at the soldier, unembarrassed about their contact as well. Lightning shouldn't have to be ashamed of being happy, so she wasn't going to be.

Soon enough they were arriving over Deling City and it was time to go to the hangar to organize into their units. Vanille had never done this before so Lightning led the way and once they were down there, helped the soldiers form ranks. Squall and Fang would not be joining the fight this time, but would be keeping a close eye from above in Ragnarok.

The airship began to make its decent and would be landing in the massive town square in front of the presidential residence. From there, most of the soldiers would be attacking while Lightning and Snow's units would be slipping into the sewers nearby to go find the hidden L'Cie.

They were all prepared and as soon as the airship hit the ground the bay doors opened. Soldiers rushed out, threw ropes over the walls surrounding the presidential residence, and began climbing over. Lightning and Snow's units hung back until they were only ones left in the hangar.

Once all the other soldiers were inside the walls, Lightning addressed Snow,

"Our turn, we'll take point; you guys watch our backs." The blonde man nodded and cracked his knuckles in anticipation. Looking over at Vanille, Lightning noticed she was completely weaponless and that was never a good idea, even if she didn't know how to use one.

"Take this," Lightning turned to the red head. Pulling her pocket knife out of her leg pouch, the General handed it to Vanille who looked unsure but flipped it open and closed anyway, testing it.

Motioning for everyone to follow, Lightning crouched and ran to the wall of the presidential residence. Flipping out her small phone, she called Squall.

"All clear," she whispered into the mouthpiece when Squall picked up. She only kept the phone to her ear long enough to hear his of confirmation,

"Copy that."

"Where is the entrance to the sewers?" Lightning asked Vanille, with her back still pressed against the wall to stay hidden.

"The easiest entrance is through the arch up ahead. There's a door on the inside of it," Vanille relayed her information to the General, who nodded in response. The arch was huge and there wasn't much cover between here and there except for some trees lining the sidewalks. Thankfully, it wasn't too far and the sun hadn't yet peaked over the horizon. As long as they could get there without being noticed everything would go smoothly.

All of a sudden, an explosion of gun shots could be heard back towards the presidential residence and they had their diversion.

"Time to go," Lightning said, checking around the wall, and seeing that the coast was clear she motioned for her unit to follow her. They ran quickly across the street and behind the trees next to the sidewalk.

Lightning wasn't happy with the lack of places to hide, so she decided to opt for speed rather than stealth. She led them behind the trees, not stopping until they were at the last one and the arch was mere feet away. Searching the area with her eyes she couldn't see the door Vanille was talking about from this angle, but she trusted the red head.

"I'm going to go open the door. The lights on this thing are bright, so I want you to send them in groups of two or three at the most," Lightning ordered Snow. Technically, they were both generals, but she was the sister-in-law so she always outranked him and he knew it.

"No problem, Sis," Snow replied, with a grin and a thumbs up, and she had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. At least he didn't wink at her or anything.

Taking once last glance to make sure the coast was clear, Lightning sprinted full speed at the arch, her cape flying out behind her. Once she was inside, she quickly scanned the wall for a door and, sure enough, there was one facing away from where they she had just been. Opening it slowly, she noticed a small room with a ladder in it, presumably to go down into the sewers. Reaching around the wall of the arch she signaled for Snow to send the soldiers, and seconds later Vanille and Zell appeared.

After a brief glance in Lightning's direction, Vanille followed Zell through the door where they waited in the small room. Yuna and another female soldier Lightning didn't know by name were next. Now that Vanille wouldn't be alone in there, she gave Yuna and the female soldier the order,

"Go down the ladder and see if it's clear." They both nodded and climbed down, as more and more soldiers ran through the door.

Lightning's eyes were constantly scanning the area for movement, but she saw none. Alarms were going off at the presidential residence, but Lightning couldn't see what was going on from this distance.

After only a few minutes, Snow ran up alone and addressed her,

"That's the last of them."

They both went through the door and Lightning shut it gently to prevent a loud noise. It was a small room and they were indeed packed in there pretty tight, but she wanted to wait for Yuna and the soldier to come back. As if on cue, Yuna popped her head up through the hole in the floor.

"It smells down here, but it's all clear," was her report on the situation and a few people snickered.

"All right, let's go," Lightning, the ever the serious one, responded, climbing down the ladder while the rest of them followed. They were more than likely not going to be noticed down here by Galbadia soldiers, but who knew what else was living down here? _L'Cie, hopefully_ , Lightning thought to herself and then looked to Vanille for guidance.

"Where to?" the red head seemed to have come into her element because she no longer looked nervous but confident and ready.

"Paine and Rikku weren't sure where they were hiding, but this place isn't that big. We'll find them," Vanille promised, turning and leading them down the narrow paths.

These sewers were unlike any Lightning had ever seen before; they were relatively fancy with wrought iron gates separating each section and water running down the middle. _It's as if it was designed for people to come down here often_ , this thought bothered Lightning so she stuck close to Vanille just in case.

The red head led them through the maze of paths down the sewer for about half an hour, and Lightning was beginning to wonder if there were any survivors down here at all. She couldn't help but appreciate the fact that Vanille was with them now though. It would have been impossible for her to navigate this labyrinth of paths without her.

Vanille had only been two steps in front of her, but it was enough.

A large man jumped from a side path in front of Vanille and threw a muscled arm around her neck, lifting her feet off the ground. He had a very large, rusted sword pointed directly at Lightning while the red head struggled for air.

Pulling out her gun blade in the gun setting she pointed it directly at his forehead. She cursed herself for not being more careful. Her heart was racing; why had she let Vanille come?

Behind her, she could hear the others pulling out their weapons in preparation for a battle, but at that moment more people filed in behind the man. They carried makeshift weapons like pipes and bits of metal and realization dawned on the pink haired woman. These were the L'Cie. Despite this newfound knowledge, Lightning didn't lower her gun. L'Cie or not he was hurting Vanille.

"Let her go," the General threatened, seeing the red head pulling at the arm holding her neck. Why did this always happen to her?

"Who are you?" the man demanded, and Lightning's suspicion was confirmed in his accent. He didn't lower his weapon or loosen his hold on Vanille, who was beginning to turn blue. One bullet would release Vanille, but she had to exercise some restraint.

"Balamb Guardian Corps. Now, let her go," Lightning wasn't going to mess around much longer. Luckily, she didn't have to because at that moment Vanille reached down and pulled out the knife Lightning gave her earlier. The man hadn't noticed, so she flicked it out, but instead of stabbing him, she raised her leg and kicked him directly in the groin.

"Son-of-a-," he cursed, doubling over in pain, he let go of her and she faced him with the knife in her hand. Not hesitating, Lightning aimed and fired, the bullet grazed his fingers, causing him to drop the sword. A brunette woman with a long braid who had been standing behind him immediately ran to his aid.

"Stop!" she shouted at Lightning, but she didn't lower her gun. Vanille was the one to speak first.

"We're not here to hurt you. We came to get you out," the red head pleaded with them, breathing heavily. The man was finally able to straighten up and narrowed his eyes at her, recognizing her Gran Pulse accent.

"How do we know this isn't a trick?" he asked suspiciously, glancing from his sword on the ground to Lightning's gun as if waiting for an opportunity.

"You know I'm a L'Cie," Vanille was getting frustrated, but she understood their hesitance to trust them.

"You could be a traitor. Show me your brand?" the man demanded, despite being held at gun point.

"Does having a brand make you a L'Cie?" Lightning fired back. Vanille wouldn't be forced to reveal herself to these people.

The man looked shocked and gazed over to the woman beside him for guidance. She turned to them and spoke.

"What is your full name?" she asked Vanille, in a similar accent. Lightning wasn't sure where she was going with this, but didn't lower her gun.

"My name is Oerba Dia Vanille," the red head replied confidently. Apparently, she understood what the woman was after. And, sure enough, the strangers seemed to visibly relax and the man nodded in satisfaction.

"Oerba, huh? I have a cousin who used to live there. She's from the Yun clan though," the man said thoughtfully.

"Fang?" Vanille asked excitedly.

"Yea! You know her?" he replied incredulously. Despite having been attacked by him, Vanille no longer seemed to feel threatened.

"She's a friend of mine. In fact, she's the Commander of Trabia Garden now," Vanille told him excitedly. Lightning watched this exchange in disbelief, lowering her weapon. These two were no longer aware of the people around them, and they talked as if they were old friends.

"I'm Zack, by the way, and this is Aerith," the man introduced himself and the woman with the braid. For the first time, Lightning noticed his attire; he seemed to be in an extremely dirty Galbadian military uniform. _What's that all about?_ She thought to herself.

At that moment, Lightning's phone buzzed, drawing everyone's attention to her. Flipping it open she pressed it to her ear and answered,

"Farron."

"Galbadian reinforcements are on their way. Team A is pulling out. What's your status?" Squall's voice asked. Putting a hand to cover the mouth piece, she turned to the man.

"Are you coming with us?" she asked, not beating around the bush any longer.

"Hell yeah!" he exclaimed to approval from the people behind him. Then, she directed her attention to Vanille.

"How long will it take us to get out of here?"

"Twenty minutes, max," the red head replied. It would go a lot quicker on the way back not having to look for the L'Cie. Putting the phone back to her mouth, she answered,

"Targets acquired. Be back in twenty."

"Good work," Squall lost all formality in his happiness at having found survivors. Closing the phone and shoving in her leg pouch, Lightning addressed the whole group.

"Cloud and Tidus are on their way to the airship as we speak. Reinforcements for Galbadia are coming and we need to be gone by the time they get here."

"Lead the way," she added to Vanille, who nodded and smiled at her. Zack picked up his sword and they all followed the red head out of the sewers.

While it was difficult leading such a large group of people through such small pathways, they ran the whole way without stopping. They climbed the ladder back up and opened the door. The brightness of the morning blinded Lightning for a moment, but when her eyes adjusted she saw that the battle from the presidential residence had spilled out into the street.

Soldiers were trying to load into the airship's hangar while fighting off Galbadians. Seeing there was no need to stay hidden any longer, Lightning flipped her weapon into a blade with one hand and grabbed Vanille's hand with the other. Her first priority was getting the red head and the L'Cie onto the airship unscathed.

"Clear a path!" she shouted over the sounds of fighting.

Snow and Lightning's unit formed a barrier between the groups of fighting soldiers and the L'Cie, effectively leading them into the hangar.

Seeing that they were in safely, Lightning called to Cloud and Tidus, who were slashing enemies not too far away.

"Wrap it up!"

They heard her amongst the chaos, as did the soldiers under their command because they finished off their enemies and made a break for the hangar. Snow threw a smoke bomb behind them, which filled the air and made it impossible for the Galbadians to see where they were going. Unable to give chase, they fired aimlessly, but it was too late. Everyone was in, and the hangar doors closed.

The airship took off and the mission was complete.


	15. No Rest for the Weary

As soon as they had gotten back from the mission it was obvious that Squall had gone to great lengths to make the L'Cie feel welcome at Balamb Garden. Cadets had willingly changed dorm rooms in order for the survivors to be able to have ones adjacent to each other. Fresh linens and clean clothes were laid out for them on all of the beds. Food was brought from a restaurant in town to feed them all, so that their first meal at Garden wouldn't be hot dogs. There were L'Cie survivors in all, so accommodating them was really no problem for the Commander.

Vanille made her way towards the dorms to freshen up as well; running around in sewers would make anyone feel filthy. More than anything she wanted to be with Lightning right now but the pink haired soldier's work wasn't done. Vanille felt bad for the soldier; the debriefing process would take at least a few more hours, but she was extremely grateful too.

Before Lightning had disappeared back up to the third floor of Garden, she had pulled Vanille aside and pressed her keys into the red head's hand.

"My room has its own bathroom...with a tub. Someone should enjoy it at least," Lightning had said to her.

Vanille could have kissed the General at that moment, but it seemed inappropriate with her boss standing mere feet away. Cadets and most soldiers had shared bathrooms and showers and the red head couldn't remember the last time she had taken a relaxing bath.

Reaching 'General Farron's' door, Vanille unlocked it and entered slowly, flicking on the nearest light. For some reason, it felt extremely intimate to be in Lightning's room. Not wanting to be nosy, she headed straight for the bathroom where there was a full sized tub and even a separate shower.

Vanille smiled to herself; she was going to enjoy this.

* * *

Lightning's mind wandered as they continued to trudge through every detail of that day's successful mission. All she wanted was to be alone with Vanille and relax, but it wasn't meant to be.

"I told Zack that we would have a meeting this afternoon in the Quad for all the L'Cie to see what their plan is," Fang reported to Squall, flopping into a chair beside the Commander's desk. Apparently having no sense of decorum, the brunette woman rested her feet on Squall's desk as if it was her own. Lightning folded her arms and shifted her weight to one leg in disapproval but said nothing.

She felt there was no reason for her to be here, but she had not been dismissed by her Commander. Once or twice she had been asked to relay what had occurred down in the sewers, but there was nothing left to tell.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tidus slide over and lean towards her ear.

"Hey, Light, you coming to our engagement party next Saturday?" Tidus whispered. Truthfully, with all that happened the last few days the General had almost forgotten. Lightning couldn't help but be amused by his childish antics; it was hard to believe he was getting married in soon.

"Yea, can I bring someone?" Lightning quietly responded, glancing over at the Commanders who were busy having their own conversation.

"Definitely," giving her a conspiratorial wink, Tidus straightened up and once again focused on what was going on around them.

Lightning hadn't even asked Vanille if she wanted to go yet. There wasn't anyone else she wanted to go with, so she prayed the red head would say yes. Squall's voice cut through her thoughts and brought her back to reality,

"You all can go. Good work today. I'll see you tomorrow," the Commander dismissed, nodding to them in gratitude for another successful mission.

* * *

The exhaustion of the day finally caught up with the pink haired General, and she wanted nothing more than to relax the rest of the day.

Lightning felt a little strange knocking at her own door, but she had given Vanille the key to her dorm to take a bath. She remembered what it was like sharing a bathroom and a shower when she was a cadet and that was no way to relax after a tough mission.

Seconds later Vanille answered the door, causing Lightning's heart to race and her lungs to stop functioning. She was wearing a pair of Lightning's long pajama bottoms and one of her spaghetti strap tank tops with her lightning pendent lying on her chest. Toweling off her soaking red hair, she smiled up at Lightning whose stomach felt as though it was doing somersaults.

Stepping into her room and shutting the door, Lightning couldn't take her eyes off of Vanille. Seeing the red head in her clothes gave her an odd feeling of pleasure, like Vanille was her girlfriend or something.

 _Wait, what?_ This thought was quickly interrupted when Vanille's voice distracted her.

"I hope you don't mind," the red head said worriedly, lowering the towel from her hair and looking timidly over at Lightning. The urge to kiss the woman swept over the soldier and she didn't think she'd be able to fight it with the red head looking like that.

"Not at all," the pink haired woman assured, making her way towards Vanille. She gently pried the towel from the red head's fingers and let it fall carelessly to the ground.

Lightning reached a hand behind Vanille's neck, feeling the wet ringlets leaving little droplets of water on her skin. Deciding that this was a battle that it was okay to lose, the pink haired woman leaned down and tilted her head to the side, pausing with her lips centimeters from Vanille's.

The red head didn't hesitate; she closed the gap between them, gripping Lightning's shoulders to pull her closer. Vanille pressed her lips to Lightning's, letting her eyelids flutter closed.

It had only been a little over a day since she had last kissed the red head, but it felt like years to Lightning. Everything around them fell away as Lightning wrapped her other arm around Vanille's waist and deepened the kiss.

The feeling of Vanille's soft lips caressing her own was incredible and she was in no hurry to pull away. Instead she slowed down and concentrated on every detail and sensation.

Every time Lightning paused, a soft sigh would escape the red head's lips as if begging her to continue. The sound drove the pink haired woman crazy with desire, but she tried to retain some semblance of self-control.

Vanille was the first to pull away, finishing with a small peck on Lightning's lips and grinning up at her. The General couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face looking at Vanille. She released the red head but didn't completely breaking contact, leaving her hand tangled in Vanille's damp hair.

"You're a _really_ good kisser," Vanille praised, biting her bottom lip and meeting the blue eyes that were now staring at her.

That was a compliment Lightning was positive she had never gotten.

"Uh...thank you. How was your bath?" Lightning quickly changed the subject, not knowing how to respond to Vanille's flattering remark.

"Great! Thank you so much," Vanille gushed, sighing in contentment. Lowering her hand from Vanille's hair, she reluctantly pulled away from the red head.

"If you don't mind, I think I'm going to take a shower myself," Lightning informed, turning and grabbing a towel from a nearby closet. Before going into the bathroom, the soldier threw a look over her shoulder at Vanille.

She stood there looking a little unsure of herself as if she didn't know if she should stay or go. Finally, seeing that Lightning was looking at her, she spoke up.

"Do you want me to leave?" Vanille asked shyly.

"Only if you want to," Lightning replied. There was nothing Lightning wanted more than for the red head to stay with her, but she wasn't going to force her to.

"Okay!" with that Vanille plopped down onto Lightning's couch and flipped on the television. The pink haired smiled and shook her head in amusement.

"Well, make yourself at home," Lightning teased sarcastically, making her way to the bathroom.

* * *

Vanille listened to the water come on as the pink haired woman took a shower. The idea that Lightning was in there right now...with no clothes on...was causing an uncomfortable heat to radiate from the red head.

No matter how much she tried to focus on the television, her mind kept wandering back to Lightning in the shower. Only a few minutes later though the water cut off and not long after that, Lightning stepped out of the bathroom in long, blue plaid bottoms and a plain black tank top. Judging from the fact that they were both in pajamas, Vanille assumed they'd be hanging out in here for a while, and she couldn't have been happier about that.

Seeing the soldier in such comfortable clothes was strange for the red head. The only outfit other than her military garb she had seen her in was a dress; neither could really be classified as casual.

Lightning came around the couch and sat next to Vanille, her wet hair clinging to the sides of her face. Her bare arms looked so inviting, so the red head leaned over and snuggled her way onto Lightning's chest. Sure enough, the General almost immediately wrapped her muscled arms around Vanille and held her there.

She was so comfortable that she was a little startled when Lightning's voice broke the silence.

"Vanille...do you miss Gran Pulse?" Lightning's voice was soft; almost a whisper, but Vanille heard every word. She wondered where this came from, but decided to be honest with the soldier.

"Sometimes. I haven't been there since I was a child," Vanille replied thoughtfully, trying to remember the place she was raised. Deciding to continue, she took a steadying breath in order to prepare herself.

"Both my parents died when I was young, so I lived in an orphanage for a few years. That's where I met Fang. I couldn't stay though. I didn't want to be reminded of my parent's deaths all of the time so I decided to leave and see the world," Vanille told the pink haired woman, who simply stroked her hair and listened.

"I started in Deling City. At that time Galbadians were prejudiced but not as out in the open about it as they are now. When things started going downhill I decided to move to the coast, but eventually all of Galbadia began to hate L'Cie anyway," Vanille continued, once she was finished she just listened to the soldier's steady heart beat.

"Would you ever go back to Gran Pulse?" Lightning asked cautiously. Vanille raised her head slightly to get a better look at her. It was easy to tell that this had been bothering her for some time from the look in her ice blue eyes.

"I'm happy here," Vanille met her eyes directly, trying to convey to the woman that she had no intention of leaving her. Once again, Lightning decided to swiftly change the subject.

"So, you and Fang were just friends?" Lightning tried to ask casually, but couldn't hide the interest in her voice. Vanille could have rolled her eyes at the General. What was with all of the questions all of a sudden?

"Claire, we were children. Of course we were just friends," Vanille answered, giving her an exasperated look. Could it be that the soldier was jealous? Lightning seemed relieved, but said nothing. Folding her arms on Lightning's stomach and resting her chin there, Vanille searched the other woman's face.

"All right, my turn. Why the name 'Lightning'? Why not something else?" Vanille questioned playfully, looking expectantly at the soldier. Lightning seemed to consider her answer for a moment, choosing her words carefully.

"Lightning. It flashes bright then fades away. It can't protect. It only destroys," she responded finally, her eyes glossed over in thought. Coming back to reality she gazed down into Vanille's forest green eyes.

"Well, that doesn't fit you at all," Vanille replied, smiling at the soldier. Lightning shrugged and returned the red head's smile with a smirk of her own.

"I was a teenager. 'Lightning' just sounded cool," Lightning admitted, generating a laugh from Vanille.

She laid her head back down on the soldier's toned stomach and considered taking a nap there. Unfortunately, the fates were against them.

Just as Vanille was dozing off some knocked on Lightning's door. The red head could almost feel the growl of frustration rumbling in Lightning's chest. Vanille sat up and let the soldier answer the door, albeit unwillingly.

* * *

Lightning seriously considered punching whoever was on the other side of the door, but controlled herself when she saw Tifa there.

"Hey, Light, sorry to bother you, but I can't find Vanille anywhere. Fang wants her there for the meeting with the L'Cie. Do you know where she is?" Tifa asked quickly, seeing that the General was already in her pajamas.

As if on cue, Vanille appeared behind Lightning smiling as if it was normal for her to be there in the soldier's room.

"Hey Tifa, give me a minute. I'll be right there," Vanille answered, walking past the two women and down the hall to her dorm, still in Lightning's clothes. Tifa's eyebrows shot up in surprise at seeing Vanille and followed the woman with her eyes until she disappeared into her room.

Tifa wisely chose to pretend as if nothing had happened and nodded a good-bye to the General, making a hasty exit. Cursing to herself, Lightning turned and walked back into her room. All she had wanted was one afternoon, just one, completely with Vanille.

Entering her bedroom, the pink haired woman threw her normal clothes on and practically stomped down the hall to Vanille's room. She may not be able to spend the afternoon alone with the red head, but that wasn't going to stop Lightning from being with her.

Vanille stepped out of her room and jumped back quickly, startled by someone being right outside her door.

"You scared me! What are you doing?" the red head exclaimed, giving the General's shoulder a gentle shove.

"I'm coming with you," Lightning replied as if it was obvious. Vanille tilted her head to the side and looked worriedly at the pink haired woman.

"But you must be tired after this morning," the red head rested her hand on one of the only remaining patches of bare skin on Lightning's arm, which happened to be her right forearm.

"So should you," Lightning retorted matter-of-factly, and Vanille couldn't argue with that. Seeing that she had won, the soldier laced her fingers with Vanille's and they walked hand in hand to the Quad.

* * *

All of the L'Cie from Deling City were standing around in the Quad, talking amongst themselves when Vanille and Lightning got there. Zack, the tall, L'Cie leader, and Aerith, the woman with the long braid, were deep in conversation with Squall and Fang near the center of the group.

Fang seemed to have caught a glimpse of the two of them because she looked up and gestured for them to come over.

"I thought you would be relaxing right now," Squall commented to Lightning, raising his eyebrows in surprise at her. Fang stood there in her usual stance with her arms folded, looking impatient, but her eyes betrayed her interest in seeing the pink haired woman there.

"Just wanted to see the mission through to the end," Lightning lied, gazing at the L'Cie around her. Fang smirked knowingly at her, but said nothing.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about earlier. I hope I didn't hurt you...," Zack apologized, but didn't know her name so he trailed off uncertainly.

"Vanille. I'm fine. I hope I didn't hurt _you_ ," the red head replied, flashing him a bright smile. Lightning scowled beside her; she was not so apt to forgive this man who had strangled Vanille, but the image of her kicking him in the groin made her feel a bit better.

Now that they were safely in Garden, Lightning was able to get a better look at the man. His hair was jet black and spiky, and it almost reminded her of Cloud's. He was no longer in uniform but she was certain that he had been in Galbadian military garb before. He was certainly built like a soldier and the large sword he had been carrying required a great deal of skill and training to wield. Zack seemed like a much friendly person now that he was out of Galbadia, but Lightning was going to keep an eye on him just in case; he had attacked Vanille after all.

The woman he was with, Aerith, seemed like a sweet person, but Lightning hadn't spoken two words to her yet so it was hard to tell. Her brunette hair was in long braid with an oversized pink bow at the top. She had a nice smile and caring eyes, and the way she stopped the confrontation earlier proved her peaceful intentions.

"We were just discussing where we should stay," Aerith interjected, effectively changing the topic so that Zack's manhood wouldn't be damaged anymore than it already was.

"You are more than welcome to stay here," Squall offered, and Lightning could see the weariness in his eyes. She wasn't the only one that needed to relax.

"Or at Trabia Garden," Fang added quickly, not to be outdone by Balamb.

"You're both very kind, but I think these guys are ready to be away from military people. No offense," Zack added as an afterthought.

"You could stay in Balamb. It's a cute little town a few minutes away on the coast. You'd be away from Garden but close enough to be safe," Vanille was the one to offer this suggestion and Squall looked at her appreciatively.

"You can stay for tonight and check it out tomorrow, if you like," Squall suggested, and Zack and Aerith seemed to agree. The two left to discuss it with the rest of the L'Cie and left the two Commanders alone with Lightning and Vanille.

"I should hire you as an ambassador," Squall looked deeply impressed with the red head, who blushed at his compliment. Lightning had to admit she had a way with people; she had gotten her to open up after all.

A thought occurred to the General and she turned to Fang.

"Is Snow still around?" Lightning asked offhandedly. She didn't really care about seeing Snow, but she was curious about her sister.

"No, I let him go back with our soldiers. Why?" it was a rare day when Lightning asked Fang a question and she wanted to know the reason.

"I thought Serah might be with him," the pink haired woman replied, disappointed at not being able to see her sister.

"She was back at Trabia anyway," Fang assured her, not having the heart to be snarky when Lightning was obviously upset. Zack and Aerith made their way back to them a few minutes later.

"Balamb it is, but I was wondering... could I become a soldier for the Guardian Corps?" Zack questioned, surprising all of them. Squall seemed to consider it for a moment and replied,

"You seem like a great candidate, but maybe we should discuss this tomorrow?" Squall suggested, and Zack nodded in agreement.

"Thank you so much for everything," Aerith directed at everyone before letting herself be led back to the dorms by Zack. Slowly, the L'Cie survivors trickled out of the Quad and made their way back into Garden.

"Long day," Squall sighed, nodding to them and taking his leave as well.

Waiting until he was out of sight, Fang unfolded her arms and threw one around Vanille's shoulders much to Lightning's displeasure.

"Not bad for your first mission," the Commander teased, releasing the red head and walking with the two women back inside.

"Thanks...I think?" Vanille joked back, looking over at Lightning who was still scowling.

"Really, you did great," Fang complimented sincerely, then turned to address Lightning,

"Would you mind if I spoke with Vanille alone for a moment?" the pink haired woman was so stunned that she stopped walking and stared at the brunette. Remembering her conversation with Vanille earlier, Lightning reluctantly nodded her acquiescence. She left the two women, walked across the Quad, and lifted herself up onto the stage, watching them intently.

* * *

"What's going on?" Vanille questioned, confused as to why Fang wanted to speak with her alone. They hadn't had a private conversation like this since they were little kids.

"She treats you good?" Fang asked seriously, gesturing with her head towards the stage. Vanille followed her gaze and saw Lightning with her legs crossed, sitting on the stage and waiting patiently.

Vanille considered how open she wanted to be with Fang about her relationship with the soldier, but meeting Fang's eyes, she could see the concern there. She just wanted to make sure that everything was okay.

"Better than I deserve," the red head replied, unable to take her eyes off of the pink haired soldier across the Quad.

"That's impossible," Fang asserted, but looked as though she wanted to say something else. Hearing the tone of her voice, Vanille directed her attention back to the Commander.

"If she gives you any trouble, let me know," Fang only semi-joked, raising a fist. Vanille knew that Fang was trying to look out for her, but it was completely unnecessary. Vanille knew without a shadow of a doubt that Lightning would never hurt her.

"Fang...I...," Vanille began, debating her next words. She had no doubt in her mind how she felt about Lightning, but she wasn't so sure she should reveal it to Fang. Returning her gaze to Lightning in the distance, Vanille felt the need to say the words aloud.

"I love her," the red head breathed, saying the words aloud for the first time. As soon as she heard them escape her lips, Vanille knew they were true.

Fang looked equally shocked to hear this, but her lips quickly formed a broad grin.

"Don't tell me, tell her...and soon," Fang seemed to have forgotten her earlier concern about Lightning and had a cocky smirk on her face now. With that, Fang gave the red head's shoulder a squeeze and stalked out of the Quad, leaving Vanille speechless.


	16. The Engagement Party

"I'm almost ready. Give me five more minutes," Vanille's words were rushed as she closed the door in Lightning's face. The pink haired woman would have considered this rude if had been anyone else. Since it was Vanille she wasn't bothered in the slightest; she simply leaned against the wall next to Vanille's door and waited patiently.

Tidus and Yuna's engagement party had started a few minutes ago in the Quad, but Lightning was sure that they wouldn't mind them being a little late. It was just a casual party, no one was really getting dressed up or anything, in fact, she was still in her normal soldier garb.

Apparently, Vanille felt the need to get all dolled up anyway because she shot out of her dorm a moment later, in a sun dress. She looked amazing; Lightning admired the way it hugged her lean torso and fell down to her knees.

"You're making me feel underdressed," the soldier teased, folding her arms and giving the red head a playfully stern look.

"Should I change?" Vanille asked worriedly, fiddling nervously with a stray thread on the hem of her dress.

"Of course not. You look beautiful," Lightning complimented unashamedly. She had long since admitted to herself that she had deep, powerful feelings for the red head. It was difficult for her to vocalize these emotions to her, but it was getting harder and harder to ignore them as well.

Vanille smiled shyly up at Lightning and seemed convinced. Lightning offered her hand to the red head, which she accepted, and proceeded to escort her to the party.

They walked in silence through the halls, just enjoying being in each other's presence. The sun was just starting to set as they entered the Quad and it looked like almost everyone was already there.

Wooden tables were set up around the perimeter with the center clear, probably to act as a dance floor. Lights were strung together and hung all around the Quad in preparation for the rapidly disappearing sun. On the stage there was a woman singing with a band of all men playing light back-round music.

Seeing Tidus' unruly hair at a table directly in front of the stage, Lightning guided Vanille to go congratulate him and Yuna. When they made it there, Quistis was just leaving and once again gave the two of them a judgmental glance, but said nothing as she walked away. Rikku sat at the table as well in a much more subdued outfit than normal. Lightning briefly wondered why she was there before she remembered that she was Yuna's cousin.

"Light, you made it!" Tidus greeted with a boyish grin on his face. He stood up and threw his arms around the pink haired woman, who was temporarily frozen in shock. This was not a normal occurrence, but for a change she didn't mind.

Lightning returned the hug and awarded him with a warm smile. She was finally opening up to the people around her who had stuck by her despite her icy personality. Vanille was the one responsible for tearing down her walls and she couldn't be more grateful to the red head. It was nice to have friends instead of just colleagues.

"Congratulations, you two," Lightning released Tidus and turned to receive an embrace from Yuna. Her bi-colored eyes reflected her complete happiness at having all of her friends and family there in support of her and Tidus' engagement.

"Vanille, right?" Yuna directed at the red head that stood a little distance from them. Vanille seemed startled at being addressed by the woman but nodded politely in response. They had seen each other numerous times, but had never been formally acquainted.

"We're glad you could come," Yuna finished, giving her a warm smile, not wanting the red head to feel left out.

"You are going to be staying, right? Yuna is going to be singing a song she wrote!" Tidus interjected, wrapping an arm around Yuna and smiling proudly at her. She looked embarrassed but pleased all the same.

"Of course," Lightning answered, then decided it was time to leave the couple so more people could visit them. Searching the tables, she saw where her sister and Snow were and led Vanille through the crowd towards them.

"Hey Light!" Serah stood up and squeezed her sister tightly when she approached. Lightning immediately returned the gesture, thankful for being able to see her sister again. After pulling away, Lightning gave Snow a nod of acknowledgement as Serah gave Vanille a hug as well.

For the first time, Lightning noticed that Cloud and Tifa were at the table, so she nodded politely to them in greeting before holding out Vanille's chair for her. The red head touched her arm in thanks causing a bolt of electricity to shoot through her body, and then took her seat beside Tifa. Lightning sat down as well and looked up to see Cloud giving her a cocky smirk while Tifa tried valiantly to avoid her gaze. They both knew that Lightning and Vanille were in a serious relationship, but were unwilling to say anything aloud in present company.

A few tables down Squall sat with Rinoa and they both looked as if they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Beside them sat Fang and Paine, and Lightning couldn't tell but it appeared from the way they were acting that they were romantically involved. The L'Cie survivors, Zack and Aerith were at the table as well, politely listening to the conversation around them.

Looking around at all of these happy couples, Lightning's heart gave a lurch of jealousy. She was completely happy with Vanille, but being open about their relationship wasn't going to be easy. They still hadn't even discussed if they were a couple or not. Lightning was certain that she wanted to be with the red head, but she could never seem to find the right words to tell her.

Directing her attention back to the table, she watched as Snow wrapped an arm around Serah and placed a tender kiss on her temple. At that moment, Lightning realized the best person to ask for advice about her dilemma was her own sister.

"Serah, can I speak with you for a moment...alone?" the General asked, Serah appeared to be extremely surprised by this, but nodded and stood up, excusing herself wordlessly.

"I'll be right back," Lightning assured Vanille who looked at her questioningly, but simply smiled in response.

Once they were out of earshot from the table, the younger Farron sister turned to Lightning.

"What's going on, Light?" she asked, looking worriedly up at her sister.

"I don't know how to tell her," Lightning was panicking slightly; she wanted to say it so badly. Fear seared through her heart at the idea that Vanille didn't reciprocate her feelings.

"Tell who, what?" Serah decided the best strategy was to play dumb. She knew exactly what was going on here, but Lightning needed to speak her feelings aloud for a change.

"I...love Vanille," the pink haired woman revealed, breathing a sigh of relief. Saying it to her sister was one thing though, saying it to the red head would be a different story entirely, but it was a step.

"When it feels right, the words will just come to you," Serah said simply, smiling affectionately at her older sister. Lightning had never asked for her advice on anything, not even when they were kids. Serah was honored that Lightning would come to her for guidance, especially for something as important as this.

"I hope so...thank you, Serah," the soldier replied, giving her younger sister an appreciative nod, but her eyes still betrayed her nervousness. Serah brought her into a comforting hug and the General drew strength from her. Taking a steadying breath, Lightning walked back to the table with Serah.

Dinner was soon served and everyone talked amicably while they ate. Apparently, Tidus and Yuna had gotten someone from Balamb to cater because the food was much too good to have come from Garden's cafeteria.

All of a sudden, Vanille placed her soft hand on Lightning's leg underneath the table giving her goose bumps. Keeping a straight face, she turned to glance at the red head who gestured for her to tilt her head closer. Complying, Lightning leaned her ear towards the smaller woman and fought a shiver when her warm breath hit the sensitive skin of her ear.

"Who's the singer?" Vanille whispered, nodding towards the stage. The soldier followed her gaze and searched her memory for who the woman with the long brunette hair was. Then it clicked.

"Yuna's sister...Lenne, I think her name is. The guy playing the piano back there is her husband, Shuyin," Lightning replied, returning her eyes to the Vanille who nodded and sat up straight. She removed her hand from the soldier's thigh, leaving her missing the warm touch.

* * *

"It looks like Wakka and Lulu were able to make it," Cloud observed, glancing at a table near Tidus and Yuna's. Vanille turned her head to see who he was talking about and was surprised she hadn't noticed them before.

Wakka must be the very large man with red hair spiked up high in the front. The woman with black hair and a pallid complexion had to be Lulu. Vanille was tempted to ask if they were a couple, but her question was quickly answered when Wakka leaned over and kissed Lulu on the cheek. They seemed like an unlikely match, but that could be said for almost everyone here.

The large man made his way over to Tidus and they embraced like long lost brothers. They were quite a distance away from them, but she could still here his loud, island accent

"I missed you, brudda! We been getting' our butts kicked without ya, ya know?" Wakka exclaimed. Vanille turned to ask Lightning what he was talking about, but the pink haired woman was a step ahead of her.

"Blitzball. It's a sport played with a ball underwater. Tidus used to play professionally before coming to Garden," Lightning whispered to her. Vanille tried to picture the sport in her brain, but she had no frame of reference. There was absolutely nothing to compare it to in Gran Pulse, and she didn't really have time in Galbadia to follow sports. As Wakka and Lulu returned to their seats, Vanille observed the soon-to-be-married couple.

Tidus and Yuna seemed so happy, gazing into each other's eyes and kissing at every available opportunity. It made her think of her and Lightning. They couldn't be more opposite.

The General was strong and tried to hide her feelings from everyone while Vanille felt so weak and was practically an open book. Lightning had the ability to control her emotions, but she felt as though her emotions controlled her. Lightning was a well-respected General and she was just a hated L'Cie. These thoughts that were swirling in her head were making her feel more and more hopeless. How could she and Lightning ever be together?

Vanille turned her head to gaze at the soldier next to her as she talked quietly with her sister. She was so incredibly beautiful. Her pink hair fell across her cheek framing her face and offsetting her bright blue eyes. The red head felt as though she could sit and stare at Lightning for hours and never get tired of it.

Ever since she had admitted her feelings to herself, Vanille had wracked her brain for a way to tell Lightning. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved the woman, but it was so hard to tell whether she felt the same way about her.

It was easy to see how much she had opened up from the first time they had met when Lightning had saved her in Galbadia. They had only known each other for a little over a month but they had already been through so much together. Lightning knew all of Vanille's darkest secrets and yet she didn't shy away from them, completely the opposite. She had helped her to overcome her past and move forward.

Lightning turned and her brows furrowed in worry at Vanille. The red head marveled at the hundreds of shades of blue looking at her. The pink haired woman looked as though she wanted to say something but at that moment the music stopped and everyone fell quiet.

* * *

Vanille eyes seemed sad for some reason and Lightning wanted to make sure she was all right, but Lenne finished her song and Tidus and Yuna took to the stage. Unable to say anything, the General merely squeezed the red head's hand under the table in an attempt to comfort her.

"Hi everyone, Yuna and I just wanted thank you all for coming. Each and every one of you has been so supportive of us and we're glad you could all make it," Tidus spoke seriously into the microphone on the stage. Looking to his side at Yuna, his face broke into a wide grin.

"To make your trip worthwhile, Yuna has agreed to sing one of her songs for you," Tidus informed them happily before Yuna stole the microphone from him.

"With my sister Lenne," she added quickly, as Tidus ran off the stage to avoid her wrath. Yuna rolled her eyes at him and took the microphone off the stand and moved it to the side.

"This is my engagement party so no one is allowed to make fun of me," Yuna warned self-deprecatingly as Lenne took her place beside her with another microphone. People all around them cheered and clapped for Yuna as she looked nervously at her sister.

She pushed her short hair behind her ear shyly and let her eyelids slide closed as the music began.

' _I wake in the morning, tired of sleeping; get in the shower and make my bed alone_

_I put on my makeup, talk into the mirror; ready for a new day, without you_

_And I walk steady on my feet, I talk my voice obeys me'_

Lightning had known that Yuna could sing but she had never actually heard her before. Her voice was soft and beautiful and it was easy to feel the emotion in the song. Wanting to share the experience with Vanille, the pink haired woman glanced to her side only to see the red head already staring at her.

All around them people were standing up and heading to the center of the Quad to dance. Rinoa was practically dragging Squall onto the dance floor while Snow willingly escorted Serah on his arm.

' _I go out at night, sleep without the lights_

_And I do all of the things I have to, keeping you off my mind_

_But when I think I'll be all right, I am always wrong 'cause'_

Lightning had no idea what the red head was thinking, but she wasn't going to let her be unhappy. Not tonight, and not ever again.

The soldier had never asked anyone to dance before, but the look Vanille was giving her was breaking her heart. Overcoming her nervousness, Lightning stood up and held out her hand to the red head. She looked up at the General and silently took the proffered hand, letting herself be led slowly to the dance floor Lightning didn't take her eyes off of Vanille's once as they stopped on an empty spot in the middle of the Quad.

Placing her hands on Vanille's hips, Lightning's heart sped up when the red head slid her hands up and around her neck. They both listened as Lenne's voice joined her sister's.

' _My hands, don't wanna start again; my hands, no they don't wanna understand_

_My hands, they just shake and try to break whatever peace I may find_

_My hands, they only agree to hold; your hands, and they don't wanna be without_

_Your hands, and they will not let me go, no they will not let me go'_

Lightning had absolutely no idea what she was doing, so she gently shuffled side to side in rhythm to the music with Vanille. Everyone else around them was doing pretty much the same thing so she wasn't too worried about her lack of dancing ability. What she was more concerned about was the red head's swift change in mood.

All coherent thought left Lightning when Vanille gently rested her head on her shoulder. Without thinking, the taller woman placed an affectionate kiss on the top of Vanille's head and held her a little closer.

' _I talk about you now and go a day without crying_

_I go out with my friends now, I stay home all alone_

_And I don't see you everywhere and I can say your name easily_

_I laugh a bit louder without you_

_And I see different shades now, I'm almost never afraid now_

_But when I think I'll be okay, I am always wrong 'cause'_

Lightning pulled Vanille closer to her chest and focused on her steady breathing. The red head gripped the collar of the pink haired woman's sleeveless trench coat and buried her face deeper into her neck. A lump formed in Lightning's throat as she realized something at that moment, causing her to freeze in place. This was the moment Serah was talking about.

' _My hands, don't wanna start again; my hands, no they don't wanna understand_

_My hands, they just shake and try to break whatever peace I may find_

_My hands, they only agree to hold; your hands, no they don't wanna be without_

_Your hands, and they will not let me go, no they will not let me go'_

Vanille looked questioningly up at Lightning, wondering why she had stopped, but said nothing. The soldier met Vanille's forest green eyes with her own blue ones. She wanted to say the words so badly, but her throat had all of sudden gone dry and made speech difficult.

' _Sometimes I wake, I see them reaching out for you_

_Quietly breaking whatever shields I spent so long building up_

_I cannot fake 'cause when they cry I'm unspoken_

_They miss holding my baby'_

Giving up on speaking for the moment, Lightning leaned forward and brushed her lips gently against Vanille's in an attempt to convey what she was feeling. The red head returned the tender kiss, running her fingers through Lightning's silky hair. The soldier could feel the blood rushing through her veins and was totally unaware of everything going on around them, no longer caring who knew about them.

' _My hands, no they don't wanna understand_

_They just shake and try to break whatever peace I may find_

_My hands, your hands, they don't wanna be without_

_Your hands, and they will not let me go, no they will not let me go'_

Lightning slowly pulled back from the kiss and stared into Vanille's eyes. The sun was just starting to slide under the horizon and the last glimmers of light fell across the red head's cheek. The General knew she had to tell her but it was getting harder and harder to function with Vanille looking at her like that.

' _My hands, don't wanna start again; my hands, no they don't wanna understand_

_My hands, they just shake and try to break whatever peace I may find_

_My hands, only agree to hold; your hands, no they don't wanna be without_

_Your hands, and they will not let me go, no they will not let me go_

_No, no, no they will not let me go'_

The song ended and people all around them were clapping and making their way back to their seats. Coming back to reality, Lightning made her decision. She forced her vocal chords to obey her and she whispered in her husky voice,

"I love you, Vanille."


	17. Chocolate Chip Pancakes

" _I love you, Vanille."_

The red head's eyes shot up and looked at her disbelievingly. Lightning swore that her lungs had ceased to function. _Was it too soon? Did she not feel the same way?_

"Claire...I...I love you too," Vanille whispered, but the pink haired woman still managed to hear it. Her heart, which she was sure had stopped beating before, now pounded in her chest with a vengeance. Unable to control herself any longer, Lightning pressed her lips to Vanille's once again, this time more passionately.

Lightning couldn't have felt any happier than she did at that moment. Vanille loved her. All of the worry and stress were for nothing, but it didn't matter anymore. Pulling only far enough away to meet Vanille's eyes, Lightning couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face.

"Do you want to leave?" The red head met her eyes and nodded in agreement, letting herself be led back to the table. Serah and Snow looked up at them, having just returned to their seats after the song was over as well.

"I think we're going to call it a night," Lightning announced to them, placing a hand on the small of Vanille's back. Snow had a cocky grin on his face, but Serah simply sat down and tried to hide her excitement. Almost everyone there had seen them kiss on the dance floor, but Lightning no longer cared who knew about them.

"All right. Come visit Trabia some time, Sis," Snow said while putting his feet up on the chair next to him. Waving in farewell, Vanille walked side by side with Lightning out of the Quad and back into Garden.

Lightning felt as though her heart might burst out of her chest at the rate it was beating. Vanille's hand was tightly holding her own and it was the only thing keeping her grounded at the moment. She couldn't believe that Vanille actually felt the same way.

The General unlocked her door and led Vanille in with her. The red head didn't protest, she simply followed Lightning into her dorm. Now that they were there, the pink haired woman had no idea what she was doing. What exactly had she been thinking bringing Vanille back here?

The soldier really hadn't thought this part through; all she wanted was to be alone so she could speak freely with the red head. Thinking about it, Lightning realized that Vanille probably thought she had other things in mind bringing her here instead of to her own dorm.

Glancing sideways, Lightning's fears were confirmed from the nervousness in Vanille's green eyes. Immediately, a pang of regret shot through her chest and she cursed her stupidity. The red head thought she had other intentions. Why wouldn't she? After all, Lightning had brought the woman to her room after professing her love.

* * *

If she stood there much longer, Vanille was sure her shaking legs would give out. As she passed Lightning to go sit down she let her hand graze the woman's back, surprising the soldier slightly. The red head took a seat on Lightning's bed and fiddled nervously with her hands. _Does Claire want to...?_

A mixture of excitement and fear ran through her body at this thought. There was no doubt in her mind that she was extremely attracted to the soldier, but she just didn't know if she was ready. She knew that Lightning would never hurt her or make her do anything she wasn't ready for. The source of her fear was mostly herself; she was afraid that she wouldn't know what to do or that she wouldn't be able to do it because of her past experiences.

Lightning came over and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Daring to meet those deep blue eyes, Vanille felt ashamed of being afraid of this woman. The expression she wore was gentle with a tinge of worry. All of the fear vanished, only to be replaced by a feeling of security.

She leaned into the soldier's touch and let her eyelids slide closed. Lifting her hand, Vanille delicately touched the lightning pendent that rested above her heart.

How could she even think that Lightning would do anything she didn't want to do? Unable to bear the silence any longer, Vanille spoke first with her eyes still closed.

"Claire...," she said just above a whisper. She felt Lightning squeeze her a little tighter.

"Mhmm?" Vanille heard the pink haired woman hum from beside her.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Vanille didn't want to leave the safety of the soldier's arms. Being here felt so right, she just hoped she wasn't overstepping some invisible boundary.

"Of course...," Lightning replied, sounding like she wanted to say something else. Unwilling to remove her head from the woman's shoulder quite yet, Vanille opened her eyes and tilted her head slightly to look up at her.

"You're so perfect," the words escaped the red head's lips before she could stop herself. The soldier lifted a gentle hand to Vanille's face, just tracing her features with the very tips of her fingers. Those intense blue eyes were making her heart do funny things.

"Hardly," Lightning's mouth curled into a content smile. Standing up, she walked over to a nearby drawer and pulled out two pairs of pajamas.

"You still have my good pair, but these will do," Lightning joked, handing Vanille one of the pairs. She grinned guiltily up at the soldier, but took them anyway and made her way into the adjoining bathroom.

* * *

When Vanille came out, Lightning walked forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before going to change herself. Once she was done, the pink haired woman grabbed a pillow and a blanket from her closet and made to lie down on the couch.

"You can have the bed. Do you need anything else?" Lightning offered as she unfolded the large blanket for herself. Looking up at Vanille, she could see the disappointment etched on her beautiful face.

"I thought...I kinda hoped...," Vanille fumbled over her words, no longer able to meet the General's eyes. Lightning stood back up and made her way over to the red head, standing only inches from her.

"I'll be wherever you need me to be," Lightning promised, taking both of the red head's hands in her own.

Wordlessly, Vanille led her by the hand to the bed, and only to let go and lie down. Lightning immediately understood.

She slowly approached the bed and lay down on her side next to the red head. Not wanting to violate any boundaries she merely gave the woman her space, but Vanille wasn't satisfied.

Vanille turned and grabbed Lightning's arm, pulling it around herself, and forcing her to scoot closer until her chest was flush with Vanille's back. She slid her other arm under the red head's neck, hugging her as close as humanly possible and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

Lightning was awoken abruptly by a sound very close to her head. Her eyes shot open and she immediately assessed the situation. Vanille's back was still to her, but the woman seemed to be shivering uncontrollably. Leaning up on her elbow, Lightning looked down at the red head without removing her other hand from around her.

Vanille eyes were squeezed shut and she was shaking in fear of something only she knew. She let out a small whimper and Lightning felt as though she had been stabbed in the heart.

Tears were running down Vanille's cheeks, but Lightning noticed that she was still asleep. Debating whether to wake her up or not, she gently turned the red head to face her. Wrapping her arms around Vanille, she held her closely to her chest, but this only made things worse.

"No...please...don't," the red head begged desperately in her sleep, pushing against Lightning weakly. The soldier's heart ached and her throat got painfully tight, but she refused to let go of Vanille.

"It's me. Claire. You're safe," Lightning whispered soothingly to her over and over again. Eventually Vanille stopped fighting and rested her hands on Lightning's collar bone.

Lightning tucked Vanille's head under her chin, and couldn't help the wave of sadness that swept through her. The horrors this woman had faced in her short life would never completely leave her. She would always be haunted by what the Galbadian soldiers had done to her. Thinking about it made Lightning nauseous. If she ever came face to face with the bastards that did this she was certain she would kill them without a second thought.

After everything that had happened to this woman, the fact that she was still able to face the day was amazing. In fact, her perkiness rivaled Selphie and Zell's most days.

A single angry tear ran down Lightning's cheek as she held the red head as close as possible. She hadn't cried in years, not since her father died when she was a little girl. She hadn't even cried when her mother died, she had to be strong for Serah. This was worse than any physical pain she had ever experienced in her life. The fact that the woman she loved was hurting so much and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it was unbearable.

Vanille's wracking sobs were beginning to slow to a sniffle, but she was still trembling uncontrollably. Lightning didn't know what to do for the woman and it was hurting her to see her like this. She hadn't become a soldier to protect anyone, but the woman in her arms made her regret not saving more people from this kind of suffering.

More than an hour passed before the red head's night terror was completely finished. Lightning held her the entire time, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words she probably couldn't hear. Seeing that she was no longer needed, Lightning placed a tender kiss on the top of Vanille's head and let herself drift back to sleep.

* * *

Vanille wasn't completely aware of where she was, but wherever it was it felt nice. Something warm was wrapped around her, making her feel incredibly safe. Keeping her eyes closed, Vanille tried to focus on her surroundings. Whatever was wrapped around her body most definitely wasn't a blanket; it was much too heavy, but it was a comfortable weight. Every few seconds she would feel her head gently rise then fall as if she was laying on something that was breathing...

_Claire!_ Vanille's eyes shot open but she didn't dare move in case the pink haired woman was still sleeping. Sure enough, her eyes were met with the graceful slope of Lightning's neck. Slowly shifting to look down, the red head could see that her legs were tangled up in the soldier's. A moment later, the rise and fall of Lightning's chest lost its steady pattern, so Vanille asked her,

"Sleep well?" The arms around her tightened a little bit and then she felt the woman's warm breath mere centimeters from her ear.

"How'd you know I was awake?" the pink haired woman asked, her voice husky with sleep. She could feel the woman's chest rumble as she spoke and it brought a smile to her face. Vanille turned to lie on her back, looking up at Lightning who lifted her head and supported it with her hand.

Vanille couldn't deny how very attractive Lightning looked lying there on her side gazing down at her sleepily. The red head grinned, remembering back to when she was in the infirmary for the second time and Lightning had caught her pretending to be asleep.

"You're breathing changed," Vanille repeated Lightning's own words back to her, awarding her with a smile and a short laugh from the soldier.

"I did sleep well. Did you?" Lightning replied, brushing stray hair out of Vanille's face then letting her arm rest on the red head's stomach. For some reason, the General didn't meet her eyes when she asked her this question.

"Mhmm, did I have a nightmare?" Vanille guessed, watching as the soldier's eyes shot up to hers. Judging by that reaction, the red head's question was answered for her.

"Sorry about that," Vanille apologized, rolling away from the other woman and coming to lie on her stomach, too ashamed to meet the soldier's gaze. She felt a soft hand on back and turned her head to look at the General.

"I love you so much, Vanille" Lightning couldn't have chosen better words to comfort her than those ones.

"I love you too," Vanille replied, smiling contentedly. She didn't know why she was worried about Lightning's reaction to seeing her nightmare.

Lightning threw her legs over the side of the bed suddenly and stood up. Holding out a hand to her, the soldier looked wide awake.

"What would you like for breakfast? I can make pancakes, waffles, toast, eggs, but I only know how to make them scrambled," Lightning seemed genuinely excited by the idea of cooking for her.

"Do you have chocolate chips?" Vanille sat up in the bed, while Lightning went and checked her pantry.

"Yea, chocolate chip pancakes?" she could hear Lightning call from the kitchen. Jumping up, Vanille followed the woman's voice and saw her already pulling out the ingredients.

"Yes, please," Vanille responded a few feet away from her. Apparently, she had heard her come in because she didn't seem surprised in the slightest to hear her voice so close.

Vanille walked over and lifted herself onto the counter beside her and simply watched as the soldier made her breakfast. It was a weird experience for her. She couldn't remember the last time someone had made a meal specifically for her. A thought came to the red head and she had to ask.

"Do you ever eat in the cafeteria?" Vanille wondered, observing the woman's lithe frame from beside her. Lightning glanced sideways at her and smirked in amusement.

"I try not to," Lightning responded, pulling a face while flipping the pancakes. This only created more questions for Vanille.

"Where do you get all of this then?" Vanille gestured to her open pantry and watched as the General put the food on two plates.

"I stock up from a grocery store in Balamb every couple of weeks. What would you like to drink?" Lightning replied nonchalantly, opening her refrigerator.

"Milk, if you have it," Vanille was still jealous about being subjected to hot dogs on a daily basis, but decided to let it go.

They both sat at a small table with two chairs on the other end of Lightning's kitchen. Vanille could feel the soldier watching her carefully for a reaction as she took the first bite of her pancakes.

"Wow! I had no idea you could cook," Vanille complimented, taking another large bite.

"It's hard to mess up pancakes," Lightning responded humbly, eating her own breakfast, but looking pleased with herself.

They both ate in silence and when they were finished, Lightning took the plates and washed them in the nearby sink. Vanille had offered but the soldier wasn't going to hear it. Instead, the red head stood up and approached the woman from behind, wrapping her arms around her.

Vanille could hardly believe that she was here. The highest ranking soldier in the Guardian Corps had made her breakfast and was now washing the dishes for her as well.

Lightning cut off the faucet and turned in her arms to face the smaller woman.

"What do you want to do today?" the General asked her while wrapping her arms around Vanille's narrow waist.

"You don't have to work?" Vanille was slightly surprised by this. Lightning had been pulling longer and longer hours at work lately ever since Galbadia invaded Garden. Shaking her head, the taller woman replied,

"I'm all yours."

For some reason this statement caused a warm feeling to spread through Vanille's body. Leaning forward, she let her head rest on Lightning's shoulder. Then an idea came to her but she wasn't sure if the soldier would actually be up for it.

"Can we go to the beach?"


	18. The Beach

"Can we go to the beach?" she asked, trying to contain her excitement. She watched Lightning's reaction while practically bouncing on her heels. The pink haired woman met her eyes, but seemed to be lost in thought.

"It's supposed to be a nice day... Do you have a bathing suit?" Lightning questioned, tilting her head slightly at Vanille.

"Yep! I'll be right back!" and with that, Vanille sprinted out of Lightning's dorm leaving the bemused soldier in her wake.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Lightning pulled a borrowed Garden jeep into one of the only vacant spots on the crowded beach. It seemed all of the cadets and tourists had the same idea Vanille had on such a nice day.

As soon as the vehicle came to a stop Vanille hopped out, landing silently in the soft sand and grabbed their towels. She spread out two of them to lie on while the soldier got out of the jeep and made her way over.

Pretending to watch some cadets playing blitzball, Lightning covertly glanced out of the corner of her eye as Vanille flopped down on one of the towels.

The red head was wearing a baggy t-shirt that kept slipping off her shoulder, a pair of cut-off jean shorts, and Lightning could see the pink strings of a bikini tied around her neck. Lightning herself had opted for black, tight fitting board shorts that fell just above her knees and a matching bikini top and, for the trip from Garden, she had worn a plain white tank top over her bathing suit.

It wasn't long before the General gave up and focused all her attention on the red head that was now lathering sun screen on her arms. Lightning had never seen this much of Vanille's skin and it was causing her body to do funny things.

The dangerous thing about bathing suits was that they left almost nothing to the imagination. Lightning let her eyes wander from Vanille's flat stomach up to the curve of her breasts, but she forced herself to look away when she felt her face growing warm. It was taking all of her self-control to not act on all of the desires she had at that moment, but the red head was intent on making it more difficult for her.

"Could you get my back, please?" Vanille asked, holding out the sun screen bottle to her. Lightning took it from her slowly and squeezed some onto her hand.

Taking a calming breath, she gently began rubbing it onto the red head's back. Vanille's skin was so soft and smooth that Lightning had to briefly close her eyes to collect herself before continuing. A fire burned in the pit of her stomach when she had to lift the strings of the red head's bathing suit to get to the pale skin underneath and then again when she had to go down to Vanille's lower back.

"Thanks. Need me to get you?" Vanille asked innocently, letting her fingers graze the soldier's while taking the bottle from her. Lightning felt as though she was going to pass out from the ache in her lower abdomen. Never in her life had someone stirred this kind of lust in her as Vanille did now.

Not trusting her voice, Lightning chose not to respond. She simply nodded and grabbed the hem of her tank top, pulling it carefully over her head. A small shiver ran up her spine as Vanille spread the sun screen on her back. She couldn't tell if it was from the coldness of it or from the red head touching her, but she had a pretty good idea. All she knew for sure was that the feeling of Vanille running her hands all over her back was pure torture.

Too soon, Vanille was finished and she stood up to peel off her shorts, drawing Lightning's eyes to her bare legs. All of that skin was going to give the soldier a heart attack, but she was a glutton for punishment so she continued to stare at the red head anyway.

Vanille stretched her arms high above her head, making every muscle in her body visible. Lightning let her eyes travel over her lithe frame and became temporarily distracted when they reached her upper thigh.

The only L'Cie brand Lightning had ever seen was Fang's which was on her upper arm and always visible. Hers almost looked like a scar, but Vanille's was nothing like that. If anything it resembled a tattoo. Thinking about how Vanille had gotten this, Lightning sobered up instantly.

"Want to swim?" Vanille suggested and the soldier was startled out of her reverie. Gazing up at the red head, Lightning could tell she had been caught staring at the woman's brand and mentally chastised herself.

"Yea," Lightning replied. Standing up, she made her way into the calm waves with Vanille. She briefly wondered if the red head could swim but her question was soon answered when she dived head first into a crashing wave. Lightning smiled and followed her.

* * *

Vanille came up for air and pushed her hair back and out of her eyes. Moments later, Lightning's head popped up out of the water a few feet away, her pink hair clinging to her face and neck.

It had been years since she had been able to swim in the ocean like this. When she lived in Galbadia it was illegal for L'Cie to share a beach with everyone else. Not to mention the last few years she didn't have time since she was constantly on the move or in hiding. No, she hadn't gone swimming since she lived in Gran Pulse. The water here wasn't as pure as in her country but it felt like heaven right now.

She had seen the soldier gazing at her mark earlier and she had been bothered by it at first. Thinking about it though, she realized that Lightning had probably never seen one like hers. Most L'Cie kept theirs covered, Fang was really the only one who showed hers off as a statement. Fang's mark was atypical though since it had literally been burnt onto her with a fire brand. L'Cie were usually given a tattoo, but Vanille had heard stories of how Fang struggled so much that a tattoo had been out of the question.

Vanille was torn on how she felt about Lightning staring at her mark. On the one hand, it was a part of her body now and she wanted the soldier to love every part of her. On the other hand, the way she had gotten it was vile and she had a hard time loving herself with it on her.

Lightning swam over to her and glanced at her through her dripping bangs. Her eyes seemed even brighter in comparison with the water and they held her gaze unwaveringly.

Vanille couldn't deny how she felt seeing the pink haired woman in a bathing suit. Years of being in the military had given her the body of a goddess and Vanille couldn't take her eyes off the woman. The way her arm muscles rippled as she swam through the water was causing Vanille's mind to conjure up images that were highly inappropriate.

Vanille finally chanced a glance at the soldier in front of her and the wind was knocked out of her. Drops of water were running down her chest and between her breasts, and Vanille couldn't stop herself from following them with her eyes.

Her attention was soon drawn away when Lightning leaned down and gently kissed her. The soldier's lips tasted salty from the droplets of water that still ran down from her bangs. Grabbing the back of the woman's neck tightly, she pulled the soldier as close to her as physically possible as they both were swayed back and forth by the ocean.

After a moment, Lightning broke the kiss and took Vanille's hand, wordlessly leading her out of the water. Once they were back at their towels, Vanille flopped down and hugged her knees to her chest. The soldier came and sat next to her leaning back casually on her elbows. This gave Vanille the perfect vantage point to stare at Lightning's well-defined abs some more.

* * *

Lightning enjoyed the feeling of Vanille's eyes on her body immensely. The red head still hadn't noticed the smirk the soldier was giving her, so intent was she on staring at her stomach.

Taking in Vanille's appearance beside her, the pink haired woman noticed her lightning bolt pendent resting on the red head's chest. Lightning couldn't believe that she was still wearing it. The small piece of jewelry wasn't particularly special or expensive, but Lightning couldn't deny that seeing it as a permanent fixture around Vanille's neck was flattering.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's impolite to stare?" Vanille chastised, suddenly leaning her body over and putting one arm on either side of Lightning's torso. The soldier's breath caught in throat with the red head being this close to her as scantily clad as she was.

"If I'm not mistaken, _you_ were the one staring at _me_ ," Lightning replied trying to hide the flood of sensations coursing through her. The red head merely smirked down at her.

"Oh, really?" Vanille responded, leaning down and kissing the side of Lightning's exposed neck.

Lightning was so surprised that she didn't have time to react when Vanille pulled her towel out from under her, sending her into the warm sand. Before she could even comprehend what had just happened, a giggling red head had run away with her towel. Coming to her senses, Lightning grinned as she shot up and sprinted after her.

Vanille had only managed to go a few yards when Lightning caught up with her. She threw her arms around the red head's middle from behind and lifted her into the air. Vanille squealed in surprise, kicking her legs futilely in the air. Lightning tightened her hold on the woman and spun her around, causing the red head to laugh uncontrollably. Even the soldier managed a small laugh as she set Vanille back on the ground gently.

Still grinning in amusement, Lightning kissed Vanille while tugging her towel out of her unsuspecting hands.

"I let you catch me," Vanille pouted, as the soldier pulled away. Lightning smirked and nodded her head in mock agreement.

"Of course," she affirmed sarcastically, wrapping an arm around the red head's narrow waist and leading her back to their spot on the beach.

* * *

They were halfway back to the jeep when the soldier stopped, throwing an arm out in front of Vanille. The red head looked questioningly at Lightning, but she was glaring at something ahead of them. Turning to see what she was looking at, Vanille's mood immediately fell.

Two teenage boys, one with long blonde hair and the other with short brown hair, were hanging around the Garden jeep that Lightning had driven them here in. They simply looked like a couple of teenagers from the town of Balamb; neither of them could be older than seventeen.

"Wrap the towel around you," Lightning ordered under her breath. Vanille was confused. These were just a couple of kids from Balamb. Why would it matter if they saw her brand? Despite this Vanille complied quickly, but it was too late. The blonde boy called out,

"I didn't know this water was contaminated with L'Cie."

Lightning picked up her tank top and threw it on roughly, still keeping her body between the boys and Vanille. These guys didn't seem like much of a threat but for some reason Lightning looked pissed.

They were still leaning against the jeep and Vanille was very familiar with this kind of situation, having lived in Galbadia for over three years. These boys probably didn't hate L'Cie though; they just wanted to cause trouble.

"I think you should leave," it looked like it was taking all of the General's self-control to not inflict bodily harm on these boys. Her fists were clenched in barely suppressed rage at the blonde one's comment.

"Hey, check this out," another dark haired boy called, emerging from the back of the jeep holding Lightning's gun blade. Vanille was starting to get a little worried. She highly doubted these boys actually wanted to hurt them, but now they were armed. She glanced nervously at the soldier beside her, yet Lightning didn't seem worried in the slightest, just incredibly annoyed.

"Nice. We'll just take this," the blonde guy said, taking it from his friend. Vanille was shocked to hear a snicker from Lightning.

"Don't hurt yourself with that, little boy," Lightning mocked, but the smirk was soon wiped off her face when the kid pointed the weapon in its gun form directly at Vanille.

"I think I can handle it. I can try it on the L'Cie," the boy didn't even know where the trigger was, but the General was done playing this game. At that moment, Lightning grabbed his wrist and shoved him face first into the side of the jeep. Twisting his arm painfully behind his back, Lightning forced the weapon easily out of his hand. Using one hand to hold his wrist, she used the other to point the weapon at the other two boys, who looked terrified. They hadn't signed up for this.

"Want to rethink those words?" she hissed into his ear. It was obvious that he was scared. He had probably anticipated stealing some stuff and looking tough in front of his friends by threatening a L'Cie then going home.

"It's okay. Let's just go," Vanille pleaded quietly, gently laying a hand on Lightning's arm. The soldier wasn't actually going to hurt them, they were just children after all, but their stupidity could have gotten someone hurt. That someone could have been Vanille.

"Listen to your girlfriend, dumb bitch," one of the brunette boys taunted, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

No one expected that Vanille would be the one to lose her temper.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Vanille yelled, shoving the brunette guy with all her might causing him to stumble backwards into the sand. When he got up he looked like he was going to hit her, but he thought better of it when Lightning shoved the gun into his chest.

"I think it's time you guys were moving along," a male voice to her side threatened. Vanille glanced over and saw Hope along with a group of cadets.

Lightning released the blonde boy and he, as well as the two brunette boys, stumbled away quickly.

"Thanks, Hope," Vanille directed at the silver haired cadet, who looked slightly embarrassed.

"I didn't want to see General Farron get in trouble for killing them," he joked, giving Lightning a shy smile. The pink haired woman awarded him with a bemused smirk and nodding her head in thanks.

"I appreciate that," Lightning replied, turning to the jeep and throwing her gun blade in the back of it.

"Sorry about them. Unfortunately, ignorant people exist in Balamb too," Hope commented, turning seriously to Vanille. The red head nodded sadly, but watched with interest as Hope's friends returned to the game they were playing.

"Is that blitzball?" Vanille asked, tilting her head towards the cadets kicking around a blue and white ball.

"Yea, want to join us?" Hope offered, and Vanille glanced at Lightning, who had taken a seat on one of the towels.

Vanille really wanted to learn how to play, but she didn't want to leave Lightning here by herself. The soldier looked up at her and smiled.

"You go ahead. I'm no blitzball player. I think I'll sit here and watch," Lightning commented and laid back on her elbows once more. Vanille grinned back at her, bending down and giving her kiss on the cheek before running off to play blitzball.

* * *

Lightning watched as Vanille kicked the blue and white ball around with the Garden cadets and smiled affectionately. The red head actually picked up the game pretty quickly; Tidus would have been proud.

It was late afternoon as the sun was just beginning to set when Vanille finally stumbled tiredly back over to her.

"That was so much fun," Vanille panted, obviously exhausted but still smiling. She straightened up and began putting her shorts and her baggy shirt back on.

"You picked it up really quickly," the soldier complimented honestly. Vanille smiled shyly at her and looked away. The soldier began to shake out the towels to rid them of their sand before folding them and putting them in the back of the jeep.

"I could never hold my breath long enough to play to it in an actual water sphere," the red head couldn't hide the excitement in her voice as she hopped in the passenger's side.

Lightning smiled to herself and slid into the driver's seat, starting the jeep, and pulling back onto the road. They fell into a comfortable silence as the soldier drove them back to Garden. Every once in a while Lightning would steal a glance at Vanille who, from the looks of it, was starting to feel the effects of the long day. She was curled into a ball in the seat and her eyelids were slowly beginning to droop. Her red hair fell in her face and the soldier had a hard time returning her attention to the road with her looking so adorable.

Once the General pulled the jeep back into the parking lot of Garden, she paused and wondered what she should do Vanille, who was now completely asleep. Making her decision, Lightning walked around the jeep to the passenger side and reached over Vanille. After unbuckling her seat belt the pink haired woman slid her arms under the red head's knees and back, lifting her easily.

Slamming the door closed with a kick, Lightning decided to come back for their towels and her gun blade later and carried Vanille back into Garden. She was so light that the soldier didn't have any trouble until she got to her dorm room.

The keys to her room were in the pocket of her board shorts, but it was going to be impossible to get to them while holding Vanille like this. Gently setting the red head's feet on the ground, Lightning supported her weight by cradling Vanille to her chest while fishing her keys out of her pocket.

After opening the door, Lightning scooped Vanille's legs back up and walked into her dorm. She was well aware that the red head's bathing suit was still damp and her feet were covered in sand, but the soldier didn't care.

Lightning laid Vanille down on her bed and pulled the covers up over her. Not wanting to leave her weapon in the jeep over night she made her way back to the parking lot. When she had returned, Vanille was just as she had left her, sleeping peacefully.

She watched as the red head slept. She felt a surge of affection for the woman as she remembered how Vanille had pushed that man down. It would have been extremely funny if it had been any other situation.

Her own weariness was beginning to take its toll, so Lightning laid down beside Vanille. Placing a soft kiss to the woman's forehead, she slowly drifted off to sleep.


	19. Showers

The steady sound of water running woke Lightning up from her deep slumber. She became immediately aware of the gritty feeling all over her body and images of the previous day at the beach swam in her groggy mind.

Slowly opening her heavy eyelids, she quickly closed them again when the sun's brightness was too much. Eventually her eyes had adjusted enough for her to keep them open and allowed her to take in her surroundings.

With disappointment she noticed that Vanille was no longer curled up next to her. As her mind caught up, she realized that she must be taking a shower, or at least she hoped Vanille was the one taking a shower in her dorm.

The General flipped over onto her back, lifting her arms and letting her head rest on her palms. Her eyelids fluttered closed again and she allowed her mind to wander as she waited for Vanille to be finished up with the shower.

Lightning had almost drifted back to sleep when she heard the water cut off. She couldn't help but picture the red head stepping out of the shower at this very moment...completely naked. The soldier tried to be respectful and shake these thoughts out of her mind but it was extremely difficult when right through that door the woman she loved was dripping wet.

She had never actually seen Vanille nude before but after seeing her in that bikini yesterday at the beach it wasn't too hard to imagine the rest.

Just thinking about the softness of the red head's skin and the gentle curve of her narrow waist was causing a aching feeling to develop somewhere in her lower gut. Lightning had never felt this kind of longing for someone and it was getting more and more powerful every day she spent with Vanille.

These sexual feelings for Vanille were definitely going to reach a peak soon, but she was pretty sure the red head wasn't quite ready for a physical relationship yet.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a familiar voice called timidly from the area of the bathroom.

"Claire? Are you awake?"

Lightning sat up in the bed and looked to see just Vanille's head poking out of the bathroom.

"Yea. What do you need?" Lightning asked, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and placing her bare feet on the soft rug there.

"I kinda forgot a towel. Would you mind bringing me one?" Vanille murmured quietly, obviously embarrassed by her foolishness.

"Of course," Lightning assured her, standing up completely and grabbing a couple of towels from the hall closet then making her way over to Vanille's soaking wet head.

A thrill went up her spine as she approached the woman and her dripping red hair. She couldn't deny how very sexy the red head looked at this very moment. The realization that her naked body was mere feet away, just beyond that door was not helping the cause in the slightest.

* * *

Vanille gently took the towel from Lightning, chancing a glance into the other woman's eyes. Coming to her senses, Vanille pulled the towel out of the soldier's hand and slowly closed the door so she could dry herself off. Truthfully, there had been a moment when she looked in Lightning's eyes and felt something she had never felt before. It was like a fire had flared up in her lower abdomen and she had the overwhelming desire to be as close to Lightning as possible.

The feeling didn't go away as she slowly dried off and wrapped the towel around her body. Taking a deep breath, she tried to form some semblance of composure before she stepped out of the bathroom.

Vanille almost forgot to pick up her sandy beach clothes that she had apparently slept in. Turning back around, she gathered them off the floor and frowned at the mess she had made all over the floor.

A thought occurred to her; how exactly had she gotten to Lightning's dorm? She remembered getting into the jeep but she had no recollection of getting out of it. Lightning must have carried her all the way here and now her bed was probably covered in sand. Even though it wasn't possibly her fault, Vanille felt a touch of guilt and made a mental note to try to do the other woman's laundry for her later.

"You can just throw those in the hamper over there. I'll do a load of laundry when I get out of the shower."

Vanille turned to see Lightning with another towel over her arm. The slightly taller woman looked over the red head's shoulder and then met her eyes again.

"You done in there?" Lightning questioned when Vanille didn't move. All the red head could manage in response was a slight nod. The soldier paused for a moment before kissing Vanille's forehead and sidestepping her to enter into the bathroom.

Vanille still hadn't moved from her spot when she heard the sound of the shower cut on. Something had suddenly changed in her and she made her decision.

After everything she had been subjected to at the hands of the Galbadia soldiers, Vanille was still nervous about what she was about to do. Lightning loved her and she knew that the pink haired woman would never do anything to hurt her, but her past was hard to overcome. Yet, she felt completely ready. Not to mention, her desire for the soldier was driving her insane at this point.

As quietly as possible Vanille pushed on the bathroom door; it slid open slightly. Sure enough, Lightning hadn't locked it. Nudging it a little more, the red head carefully squeezed herself through the narrow crack.

Her mind was swirling with thoughts on what she was about to do, but her body had taken over entirely. Slowly but surely it was drawing her closer and closer to the pink haired woman.

Never in her life had she acted so impulsively, but nothing could stop her now. Nothing felt more right than this moment.

She didn't bother to close the door behind her, instead Vanille walked silently over to the shower. The faint outline of Lightning's body could be seen through the translucent shower curtain.

Surprisingly, the soldier's sensitive ears hadn't noticed her presence yet. Vanille stopped about a foot from the shower and released the towel that was covering her nude body. It fell to the floor, too quiet for the General to hear it over the rushing water.

The anticipation was almost too much and it was taking all of her will power to not throw back the shower curtain. Vanille had no idea where this bravery was coming from but something in her body was guiding her.

Taking a deep breath, Vanille forced her vocal chords to obey her and quietly said,

"Claire?"

Vanille could see Lightning's silhouette freeze as she was in the process of rinsing shampoo out of her hair. A moment later, fingers appeared on the edge of the shower curtain as Lightning pulled it back slightly.

Her blue eyes pierced Vanille, but she didn't move. Taking her chances, the red head stepped forward and into the shower and still Lightning didn't dare to even breathe.

The first feelings of uncertainty were starting to creep into Vanille's consciousness but she didn't let it stop her. She closed the gap between their bodies as she wrapped her arms around the soldier and leaned forward. Her lips were mere centimeters from Lightning's as the water trickled down her face.

"Are you sure?" Lightning managed to ask, not breaking her eye contact with the red head. Vanille nodded and voiced one of the only fears she had left,

"I...I don't really know what to do."

Lightning looked at her in complete understanding and pressed a reassuring kiss to her forehead before responding,

"I'll show you."

Vanille pressed her lips against hers and let the entire length of their bodies touch; nothing between them. Lightning snaked her arms around her and returned the kiss with vigor. She gently coaxed Vanille's lips open with her tongue and began exploring her mouth.

A small moan of pleasure escaped Vanille's throat and this seemed to give Lightning more courage. She slowly pushed the red head against the wall making sure to not put too much pressure on her body.

Vanille let out a gasp of surprise as the pink haired woman brought her hand to caress her stomach. Her touch was so gentle but it was apparent that her desire wanted to take over.

Lightning trailed her kisses ever lower until Vanille couldn't take it anymore.

* * *

Lightning hadn't had a whole lot of sex in her lifetime, but she had enough to know that this was the easily the best ever.

Vanille now lay draped over the soldier's body as they both rested on the sand covered bed once more. _Guess we'll just have to take another shower_ , Lightning thought happily to herself as she ran her fingers soothingly through the red head's damp hair.

She had to admit that she hadn't expected that to happen any time soon. Lightning couldn't deny that she had wanted it pretty freaking bad, but she respected Vanille enough to not make her feel pressured into it.

The wait had made it even more meaningful, not to mention making love in the shower was one of the sexiest things in the world.

"I love you," Vanille mumbled into the bare skin of Lightning's chest and smiled contentedly to herself.

"I love you too...How are you feeling?" the soldier questioned gently. During their love making she had struggled to not lose all control. She just wanted to make sure that the red head didn't regret it.

"Mhmm...amazing...," she hummed, tilting her head up to gaze at Lightning. Her green eyes were half-lidded in complete relaxation.

"Did you feel...good?" Lightning felt awkward asking this question but she needed to make sure she hadn't overstepped some invisible boundary with her.

This caused Vanille to fold her arms across Lightning's toned stomach and rest her chin on top of her hands. She stared straight into the soldier's deep blue eyes and put any fears Lightning might have had to rest in that one look.

"I can't describe what it felt like...just that...I've never felt so close to someone...it was like my whole body crashed in on itself and exploded out to every inch of my skin," Vanille closed her eyes, trying to remember every sensation.

Lightning had a hard time keeping her ego in check after the red head's admission, but in all honesty, Vanille had made her feel that way to. For someone who had never done it before, she was pretty damn awesome.

While the soldier was lost in her thoughts, Vanille smiled seductively before kissing the sensitive skin of Lightning's neck.

* * *

After Vanille's third shower of the morning, she had officially decided that having a girlfriend with that many abdominal muscles was a good thing. Lightning seemed to have endless energy and she had a hard time keeping up with her.

Presently, she and the soldier were back in her bedroom finally putting on clothes. Vanille looked at her bedside clock and saw that it was already 9:30 in the morning. Then something clicked in her brain.

"Oh, shit!" she yelled, causing Lightning to let go of the sheets that she was attempting to get off the bed. It was a rare day when she cursed but seeing how it was a weekday, she needed to be in class about a half an hour ago.

"What's wrong?" the soldier questioned, nervousness betrayed in her voice and automatically scanning Vanille's body for any injuries.

"I'm late for class!" Vanille exclaimed as she finished putting on some pajamas so she could run to her dorm and get some more school-appropriate attire.

Lightning sighed in relief and walked over to her bedside table. Vanille tried to watch what she was doing out of the corner of her eye while she threw on a tank top.

The soldier pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from the drawer and scribbled a note.

"Who's your morning instructor? Quistis?" the pink haired woman asked, looking up for only a moment and Vanille nodded her head. She wasn't completely sure what Lightning was up to but she waited for her to explain.

"Here, just give this to her," she handed Vanille the note and she read it to herself.

" _Instructor Trepe-_

_Please allow Vanille Dia Oerba to enter your class late. She was detained for a private training session with me. Thank you._

_-General Farron"_

"Will this really work?" Vanille questioned worriedly, as she made her way to the door, note in hand.

"I outrank her...by a lot actually. This is basically an order, even if I was nice about it," Lightning replied, pulling on her boots. The red head opened the door and then looked down at the note one more time. Letting out a little snort, she turned back to Lightning with a bemused expression on her face.

"'Private training session?" Vanille asked with a smirk. She quickly shut the door as Lightning playfully threw her other boot at her.

* * *

The cafeteria was pretty full when Vanille was finally able to make it over there during her break in between classes. Instructor Trepe had looked pretty mad when she walked in with the note Lightning had written, but she had allowed her to stay in class nonetheless.

Vanille took her place at the end of the extremely long line and checked the time on a wall clock. If the line continued to go this slow then she wouldn't be able to eat lunch at all before her next class started and she couldn't afford to be late for another class today.

Though, the red head had to admit that going to class was pretty pointless when she couldn't even concentrate on anything that was being said. All she could think about were the contours of Lightning's body and the way her lips tasted.

Truthfully, Vanille hadn't had very high expectations since she was convinced that she wouldn't know the right things to do. Lightning hadn't pushed her to do anything and always let her make the first move. She especially liked it when Lightning...

A blush crept up Vanille's neck as she tried her hardest to not think about these things in the cafeteria.

She was getting a little antsy, checking the clock every few seconds. Seemingly out of nowhere, a familiar hand touched her shoulder. Startled, the red head whipped around only to see a certain pink haired General.

At seeing Lightning, Vanille breathed a sigh of relief and gave the woman a wide grin.

"What are you doing here?" Vanille asked, pleasantly surprised at seeing the soldier.

"Even I get a break sometimes," Lightning joked, giving the red head a playful smirk. The General looked over at the line that wasn't moving and then back to Vanille.

"What do you want to eat?" The pink haired woman asked and Vanille was temporarily lost in images of their morning together.

"Uh...just a hot dog, but I'm not going to make it through this line in time for class," she answered, forcing herself to not undress Lightning with her eyes while having such a mundane conversation.

"One hot dog, coming right up," the soldier walked straight up to the counter and a moment later she returned with a hot dog.

"You just cut in front of all these people...wait, did you even pay?" Vanille asked incredulously.

"Soldiers don't have to pay for lunch and we get first dibs," Lightning explained, handing the red head the hot dog. She hesitantly took it and began to eat as they walked slowly to her next class.

They were halfway to the elevators when she saw someone familiar striding purposefully towards them.

"Commander?" the soldier questioned as he approached them. He looked paler than usual and the expression on his face was deadly serious.

"Lightning, you need to come with me...now," Squall ordered, then he noticed Vanille beside her and he seemed to come to a decision.

"You should come too," he added and immediately turned around to lead them to the elevators. Once they were inside, Lightning turned to him and could see that something was seriously wrong.

"What's going on?" she wasn't going to beat around the bush. Squall raised his bright blue eyes to her and she could see the internal struggle going on behind them.

"It's Galbadia...," he paused, glancing at Vanille and continued, "they're building a missile base."

Vanille held his gaze as she began to realize what he was saying and she felt her heart plummet in her chest. Lightning seemed to have understood as well, but felt the need to clarify.

"You mean...," she began but seemed to have lost the speech capabilities, so Squall finished for her as the elevator reached the third floor.

"We think they are going to destroy Gran Pulse."


	20. Final Mission

" _We think they are going to destroy Gran Pulse."_

These words rung in Vanille's ears and everything around her seemed to disappear. All she could think about was her home in Oerba and how it could soon be nothing but a pile of ruins.

Lightning's slender fingers interlaced themselves through her own and it brought her back to reality. She stood in Commander Leonhart's office with Lightning as well many other important people all frozen in shock at the news.

Cloud stood in his usual spot with his arms folded and his sword already strapped to his back in preparation for any immediate action. For the first time since she had met him, Tidus seemed somber and not bouncing in place. Zack was there as well, which Vanille thought was strange considering he wasn't technically a soldier for Balamb Garden yet.

Fang was pacing quickly back and forth in front of Squall's desk which was her way of showing nervousness. Oerba had been her home at one point too and the thought of its destruction was probably weighing heavily on Fang's mind just as it was on her own.

Around her they were already beginning to make plans, but she couldn't focus on them. In fact, she hardly noticed anyone talking until she felt Lightning's hand pull out of hers and then she began to pay attention to the conversation around her.

"Are you insane? What if Cloud and Tidus can't secure the missile base in time?" Lightning practically growled at Squall with her fists clenched in barely suppressed rage. Vanille had a feeling of déjà vu but continued to keep her silence.

"The people of Oerba need to be evacuated and I don't see any of the L'Cie in the room complaining," Squall reprimanded her; it was easy to see his patience was wearing thin when it came to the insubordination of his top General.

Lightning looked around the room from Zack to Fang until they came to rest on the red head. Vanille realized what they were asking her to do. They were going to send her and the other two L'Cie to Oerba to warn the people. It had to be them. The L'Cie of Gran Pulse had long ago learned that it was foolish to trust anyone other than their own kind. Galbadia was to blame for that.

"We're wasting time! Oerba will more than likely be their primary target as it is one of the most populated villages. We need to leave _now_ ," Fang hissed through her teeth and giving Lightning a look of impatience.

"I have to go," Vanille whispered to Lightning and the other woman seemed to have already known that she was going to say that. All the soldier could manage was a defeated nod as she turned her attention back to the others.

Vanille tried to pay close attention as they finished the final details but most of it didn't pertain to her. Cloud and Tidus were going to lead a team to the missile base and try to secure it or at least disarm the explosives before they could be fired at the village. Lightning and Snow were going to be sent with a smaller group into the heart of Galbadian Garden in an attempt to capture the President of Galbadia, a man by the name of Barthandelus, who was in hiding there.

They had no idea if or when Galbadia would attempt to attack Gran Pulse but Commander Leonhart wasn't going to wait to find out. Chances were that if they found out that Squall knew about their plans they would try to expedite them the way they did before.

Fang, Zack, and Vanille would leave immediately in Trabia Garden's airship for Gran Pulse. The plan was to get the L'Cie as far away from the village of Oerba as possible, probably somewhere well hidden.

"All right. Let's go," Fang's voice so close by surprised Vanille but she hid it well. She nodded her acquiescence and then turned to say good bye to Lightning. The General seemed unhappy with how the plan turned out, but she had learned that the red head could take care of herself and that arguing was pointless.

Vanille felt her chest tighten as she realized that Lightning was going to be in a lot more danger than herself. Going into Galbadia Garden, the heart of the military, without a real plan was insane.

How had this day gone so wrong? It had started off perfectly. Vanille wanted nothing more than for this to be a bad dream; to wake up and find herself still curled up in Lightning's arms in bed.

"I love you," was all she could manage to say to the soldier as she wrapped her arms around the other woman's neck. She gripped Lightning with all her might and buried her face into her neck, trying to stay with her just a little while longer.

"And I love you," Lightning's voice sounded strained as if she wanted to say something else but was unable to. She pressed a gentle kiss to Vanille's forehead and then released her slowly. Vanille hesitantly turned and followed Zack and Fang into the elevator. She met Lightning's electric blue eyes one last time before the doors closed.

* * *

After Vanille had left, Lightning turned back to Squall and eyed him aggressively. If she couldn't be with the red head in person to protect her, then she was going to do it in the only way she could.

"Our units should leave tonight too. I don't want to give Barthandelus the chance to order a missile fired at Oerba. We could catch him by surprise," Lightning gestured to Cloud and Tidus as well. She was itching to get going. If she could capture President Barthandelus then he wouldn't even be able to give the order to fire a missile. If he did manage to, then Vanille wouldn't have time to evacuate the L'Cie or herself.

"I think you're right," Squall agreed with her, surprising her into silence. She hadn't actually thought he would go along with it.

"Our plan isn't going to be any better by morning. Get your soldiers. Cid Highwind has an airship and he owes me a favor," even as he said this, he was dialing his number on his phone.

Lightning didn't need to be told twice; she, Cloud, Tidus, and Snow were already halfway to the elevator.

It took them less than fifteen minutes to get all of their soldiers in the Quad and ready to go on their respective missions. Fang's airship was already gone and Lightning just hoped Vanille got in and out of Oerba in time.

Mere minutes later another airship landed in the Quad and its bay doors opened. A man with short blonde hair and a gruff expression stepped out.

"You guys coming or what? I thought you were in some kind of hurry," he complained, tossing his cigarette to the ground and stomping it out before heading back into the giant white airship.

Lightning motioned for everyone to follow her and they all crammed into the loading bay. Almost as soon as the doors closed, the engines roared to life and they felt the pull of gravity as they were lifted into the air.

In the airship it wouldn't take long to get to Galbadia and the darkness would keep them from being seen. The first stop would be Galbadia Garden where Lightning and her team would be dropped off a short distance away so that way they could sneak in on foot.

From there, Cid Highwind would take Cloud and Tidus' team to the missile base near the west coast. Lightning knew the chances of her being able to capture Barthandelus before Cloud could destroy the missile base, was pretty slim. Not to mention, that if she and her team were noticed then a missile most definitely would be fired at Oerba.

There was more at stake in this mission than any other Lightning had ever been on. Not only was Vanille's life in danger, but all of Gran Pulse was too.

Before she knew it, they were descending just outside of Galbadia Garden. Her unit was already behind her and ready to go. Snow stepped up beside her and nodded with determination. They braced themselves as the airship touched down on the ground and the bay doors swung open.

There was enough light from the moon that Lightning could navigate them to the Garden. Snow led his unit beside them and altogether there were about twelve people; any more soldiers than that and they would be too noticeable.

As usual Zell and Yuna were with her and Lightning wouldn't have it any other way. Those two had been with her on almost every mission she had ever led and she trusted them to do anything she asked without question.

Having only been to Galbadia Garden a few times for meetings, Lightning wasn't too familiar with the layout of the school, but if it was anything like Balamb then she wouldn't have any trouble.

Ever since Galbadia had started their vendetta against the L'Cie, more and more of Lightning's missions were on the fly. In all her years as a soldier she was used to having weeks, even months, to prepare for a mission. Having to basically go into Galbadia blind was something she wasn't comfortable with.

She knew for a fact that there were sensors all over the grounds of Galbadia Garden. As part of soldier training she had learned how to locate them and avoid setting them off, but it was almost impossible to avoid them all.

Lightning looked to the side of the gate and saw the tiny motion sensor there, and without much ado she walked over and sliced it cleanly in half. The speed with which she had destroyed it left it in two perfectly useless pieces on the concrete.

Nodding to the rest of them, she leaped easily over the small entrance gates and they followed suit. They silently made their way into the Garden Lobby which was extremely similar to Balamb's.

Lightning was almost positive there were cameras all over the place in here, but she was banking on it being too dark for the cameras to see them creep around the perimeter.

The elevator was out of the question, so Lightning had to locate the emergency stairs. This wasn't too difficult since there was a relatively large sign for them a few corridors away.

There was a slim chance that there would be an alarm on the door, so she checked it carefully before opening it and leading her unit up the stairs.

It was difficult to be quiet with twelve people climbing metal stairs but they did their best. As they passed the second floor landing, Lightning began to get suspicious.

They hadn't passed one security guard on their way in. She had a hard time believing that a place as militaristic as Galbadia wouldn't have some kind of guards over night.

Snow seemed to think the same thing because at that moment he looked over at her with a dark expression on his face. Something was not right here.

When they reached the third floor landing, Lightning pressed her ear to the door. She was surprised to hear voices. She had expected Barthandelus to be asleep at this time of night. Maybe these were the guards?

Lightning turned back to Snow and her unit who were all standing there, ready to do whatever she ordered.

"This feels wrong. I'm going to check it out. If I don't come back in ten minutes...follow procedure," she ordered quietly to Snow. He looked unhappy with this arrangement and grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Be careful okay?" Snow whispered back, looking into her eyes sincerely. Her first instinct was to pull her arm away and say something harsh, but she couldn't. All the pink haired woman did was nod and slowly pulled away from him.

Lightning eased open the door as quietly as possible and squeezed through it. Looking around she didn't see anything but the voices were becoming louder and clearer as she crept onto the third floor. Hiding behind a support column, Lightning tried to listen to what was being said before continuing forward.

"Is it done?" an older man's voice asked, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. Another voice answered, this one much younger than the first but no less unpleasant,

"Yes, the missile is on its way to Oerba as we speak."

Lightning's heart stopped beating and all the blood in her body seemed to pound in her ears. Her legs became weak and they no longer had the strength to hold her upright, so she had to lean against the pillar. For a brief moment, everything around her became fuzzy and only one thought circled around in her head.

_Vanille is dead._

There is absolutely no way she had time to evacuate Oerba and get out safely.

_Vanille is dead._

She could feel her throat tightening up and the edges of her eyes begin to moisten with unshed tears. Terrible images of the missile hitting Oerba and Vanille being ripped apart by the explosion filled her mind.

_Vanille is dead._

Forcing her eyes shut, she tried to push these awful thoughts out of her head. It felt as if her chest was being ripped open. The pain was unbearable; Lightning couldn't stand it. Her eyes slowly opened and they fell on the gun blade still in her hand.

_Vanille is dead._

The soldier could feel it happening. This pain was quickly turning into something else: rage. All Lightning wanted to do at that very moment was to kill the person who was responsible. Forgetting about the rest of her team, Lightning straightened herself up and didn't even bother wiping the tears from her face.

Changing her weapon into a sword, Lightning silently crept closer to the voices. Her veins were pumping fiercely and she was seeing red in her blind fury.

Once, she was close enough to see Barthandelus she could also make out a small group of soldiers around him. They were discussing the coordinates of the next missile.

All of them were easy targets, just standing around like that; their weapons holstered. They could have been unarmed for all she cared, she was done being merciful.

Lightning shot out from behind the pillar, her gun blade drawn and she sprinted at Barthandelus. A few of the soldiers tried to stop her, but they were dispatched quickly and easily. Never in her life had she felt so animalistic; powerful and untamed.

Eventually, her path was clear and she was only mere feet from Barthandelus, but all of sudden something collided with the side of her head.

The pain was blinding, causing everything around her to flash white and then slowly fade to black as her consciousness fell away.

* * *

Vanille fanned out a blanket on the lush grass that grew throughout the Vallis Media. Originally they had planned on evacuating the people of Oerba to the Archylte Steppe, but the locals had told them that it had been overrun with monsters in the last few years and too dangerous.

As hard as she tried, Vanille couldn't take her mind off Lightning. The danger she was in right now was exponentially greater than her own. Fang and herself had managed to load all of the people of Oerba in the airship in a matter of minutes. It seemed they had already heard of Galbadia's hatred of L'Cie and expected an attack from them at any time.

Mental pictures of Lightning being captured by the Galbadians kept popping into her mind and Vanille's heart ached that she didn't know if the soldier was okay or not. She had known firsthand how incredibly cruel the Galbadian soldiers could be and the thought of Lightning in trouble was killing her.

Laying out the last blanket, Vanille looked up and something in the sky caught her eyes. Billowing black smoke was rising into the air miles away in the direction of...

She took off at a dead sprint towards Fang who was across the clearing. The brunette, who had been talking to one of the Oerban leaders, immediately halted her conversation and looked at the red head with concern.

Vanille didn't say anything, she merely pointed at the rapidly spreading smoke. Fang turned and the shock was evident on her face. The Commander quickly pulled out her slim phone out of a pouch on her belt and dialed Squall's number.

"Squall? Oerba's been bombed...I didn't expect it so soon...Yes...we got the people out safely...Where are Cloud and Lightning?...What do you mean you can't reach them?...Oh, shit...okay...okay," Vanille heard Fang's side of the conversation and that was all she needed to hear.

"Where's Lightning? Is she okay?" Vanille asked Fang urgently. Panic was rising uncontrollably in her chest and her heart was beating twice its normal speed.

"Squall said she failed to check in an hour ago and he's been unable to contact her since," Fang told her truthfully.

"Fang...I have to go...I have to help her...please," Vanille begged to the Commander. No matter how dangerous it was for her, as a L'Cie, to go to Galbadia Garden, she had to find Lightning. It wasn't like the General to not check in or answer her phone. Something was very wrong.

The taller woman looked down at her and then walked away. At first, Vanille thought that Fang was ignoring her, but she watched as the brunette pulled Zack to the side. They had a brief conversation and Zack finished it with a firm nod.

Fang walked back over to her quickly and motioned for the red head to follow her.

"I'm going with you. Zack can handle things here," the Commander told her and Vanille felt a rush of gratefulness for Fang as they boarded the airship together.

By this time, it would be day light in Galbadia, so sneaking in would be next to impossible. Vanille had to do this though. She just knew that Lightning was in trouble.

Fang had apparently told the airship pilot that it was an emergency because they seemed to reach Galbadia Garden faster than expected. There was no point in landing the airship far away since they'd be seen even if they landed miles away because of the flat land.

"Let's take a page out of their book," Fang told her and Vanille gave her a questioning look.

"We'll come in through the roof, right on top Barthandelus' office," Fang explained and comprehension dawned on the red head. Nodding her head, Vanille agreed with this plan. It was extremely dangerous, but she had to help Lightning. Who knew what had happened to her by now?

They made their way into the loading bay and tied off a couple of long ropes to descend on. Fang removed her double-ended spear from her back and held it tightly as she closed her eyes in a last minute prayer to herself.

"You don't have to come with me, you know," Vanille told her, but the brunette wouldn't have any of it.

"I'm not just doing this for you. Lightning is the best soldier I've ever met, not just in skill but in heart. Not many people would risk their lives for L'Cie like she has. I want to return the favor," Fang said, her eyelids sliding open slowly revealing the determined brown eyes underneath.

"Thank you," Vanille said sincerely giving her a genuine smile.

The bay doors opened suddenly and Vanille gripped the rope as Fang did the same. Nodding at the red head, Fang jumped out of the airship, sliding down the rope swiftly. Vanille took a steadying breath as the wind whipped her hair around her face. Without another second of hesitation, the red head jumped out of the airship and down the rope.

Vanille wished she had thought to wear gloves this time, because the rope burned her hands and legs once again as she slid down it. Below her, Fang crashed loudly into the glass on the roof of Galbadia Garden, disappearing into the building.

Vanille clenched her eyelids shut as she came in contact with the roof as well, shattering more glass along the way. Before she knew it, Vanille's feet landed hard on the ground causing her to wobble a little and she released the rope.

When she opened her eyes Vanille almost cried out at the scene around her. Fang was already engaged in battle, cutting soldiers down left and right but there was no way she'd be able to overpower all of them.

Everything happened so fast. A Galbadian soldier grabbed her before she could even think to defend herself. Fang was soon disarmed and restrained as well by a group of five soldiers. It was as if the Galbadians had known they were coming.

Barthandelus sat calmly at his chair that looked more like a throne and watched the fighting with an expression of boredom on his wrinkled face. At his feet laid... _Lightning_.

Blood trickled from a gash on her forehead and for one heart-stopping moment Vanille thought she was dead. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she saw Lightning's chest rise in the shallowest of breaths.

Vanille couldn't hear anything around her and all she could see was Lightning, her pink hair falling across her pale face. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Fang struggling fruitlessly against her captors, but it was no use.

Barthandelus was saying something, but her attention was entirely on the flutter of Lightning's eye lashes. Her eyes were slowly opening, revealing the extreme pain the soldier was in. After a moment of searching around the room, those eyes fell on Vanille's forest green ones.

Immediately, Lightning's eyebrows shot up and disbelief shined all over her face. The pink haired soldier struggled to right herself, but a soldier quickly forced her down again with his foot.

Lightning looked terribly weak but what she did next disproved that entirely. She grabbed the soldier's leg and pulled down as hard as she could. He didn't even have time to throw his arms out to cushion his fall; his head hit the hard floor with a sickening crack, knocking him unconscious immediately.

The General launched herself onto her feet. A soldier rushed at her to restrain her but she dodged his punch by grabbing his outstretched arm, pulling him forward, and kneeing him in the face. Lightning turned to attack the guard holding the red head but froze instantly.

Vanille wondered what had caused her to stop when, all of a sudden, the soldier restraining her pressed a knife to her jugular.

Everyone in the room watched as Lightning straightened up and made no further advances towards them. Her eyes had a fire in them now though.

Lightning raised her arms in temporary defeat and two soldiers came to her sides and restrained her. When Vanille looked at her, she knew that Lightning was going to do anything and everything to get them out of here alive, but now wasn't the right moment.

"This is very interesting," all eyes turned to see the person who had spoken, Barthandelus. His voice was deep and cruel and he looked at them with obvious disgust.

"General Lightning Farron has a L'Cie girlfriend. Isn't that nice?" he continued, watching the reactions of those around him. Lightning immediately turned away, and Vanille wondered why she was refusing to meet her eyes anymore.

"You care about this...this Pulse scum?" Barthandelus asked her, motioning to one of the guards when she failed to answer.

The guard punched Lightning directly in her solar plexus, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her to double over in pain.

"Stop!" Vanille cried, struggling futilely and wanting nothing more than for this to end. Barthandelus seemed to think her actions were quite humorous.

"No? She seems to care about you," he taunted Lightning, whose breath had returned but she still remained silent. She simply looked up at him in hatred through her disheveled hair.

"All right, then you won't mind if we kill her," he said nonchalantly and gave the soldier holding Vanille another gesture. Before, the soldier had even done anything Lightning had thrown herself at them to no avail. Her own gun blade was used to strike her in the back of the head, bringing her to her knees.

None of this stopped the man holding Vanille. He took the knife away from her throat and without remorse, sliced open her back from shoulder blade to hip. Vanille cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Blood flowed freely from her back and soaked her ripped shirt. He pushed her flat against the floor and kicked her for good measure. As hard as she tried, she couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her lips.

" _I am going to kill you_ ," Lightning spit in rage at Barthandelus. Vanille lifted her head and saw Lightning shaking in her fury.

Once again, the guard kicked her, this time in the stomach causing her to curl up in a ball. Lightning finally snapped.

In one swift motion, Lightning grabbed the soldier's arm that was holding her gun blade, whipped it over her shoulder, and standing up, flipped him over her head with surprising force, reclaiming her weapon at the same time.

That's when everything turned to chaos. Fang took the cue and elbowed the guard behind her hard in the chest followed by a punch to the face, giving her the opportunity to retrieve her spear.

Vanille saw the shattered glass from when she and Fang had come through the ceiling and grabbed a particularly pointy shard. It cut her hand as she gripped it tightly but she hardly noticed. Using strength she didn't even know she still had, Vanille thrust the glass into the guard's leg, causing him to yell out in pain.

In an instant, Lightning was standing above her. She stabbed the guard directly in the chest without remorse and threw him to the side like a rag doll.

Vanille could feel her mind growing fuzzy and sluggish from the amount of blood she was losing. On the edges of her conscious she was aware that there were a lot more people in the room now, but the fighting seemed to have stopped.

As hard as she tried she couldn't clear the fog that was collecting in her mind. The last thing Vanille felt before she fell into darkness was the familiar sensation of being lifted into Lightning's arms.


	21. A New Beginning

Vanille awoke to a searing pain on her back and her first reaction was to sit up, but almost instantaneously comforting hands gently pushed her back down onto the bed. She was wide awake at this point and noticed that she was lying on her stomach on a bed in a very familiar place. Realization dawned on her and she tilted her head to look over her shoulder.

Immediately, Vanille forgot about the pain in her back and all she could see was Lightning. The pink haired woman was standing there in her usual soldier outfit, which was dirty and bloodstained, and a small bandage on her forehead.

She never looked more beautiful to Vanille.

"You know...there are other places we can go on dates, Claire. There's the library, the Training Center, anywhere but the Infirmary again please," the red head joked, and she was rewarded with a small laugh from the soldier.

For the first time, Vanille noticed that Lightning had a sponge in her hand. The only reason she noticed now was because the soldier continued with what she had apparently been doing while the red head had been asleep.

"Lie back down," she ordered gently and Vanille obeyed, resting her head on her folded arms. She felt Lightning tenderly cleaning off, what she could assume to be blood, from her back.

"What happened?" Vanille asked, letting herself relax under Lightning's ministrations. She felt the soldier stop what she was doing abrubtly and without warning.

"I thought you were dead," Lightning's voice was full of barely suppressed emotion. A moment later her face appeared in the red head's vision as the other woman knelt down beside the bed to be at eye level with Vanille. She wasn't crying, but her eyes told Vanille that she had.

A rush of memories flooded Vanille's mind and a sharp pain shot through her chest.

Oerba was destroyed. Her home had been reduced to a pile of rubble.

Taking a calming breath, she remembered that they had evacuated the L'Cie in time. Vanille reached out a hand a cupped Lightning's face, letting her thumb gently caress the soldier's cheek.

"How...?" Lightning began but seemed unable to find the words. Vanille understood what she was trying to ask though.

"When we arrived in Oerba, the people seemed to have already known that Galbadia was planning something, so they trusted us and let us take them to a safer place. Less than a half an hour after we got them away and I noticed...smoke. Oerba...," Vanille broke off, the full weight of the situation hit her. Tears swam in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Oerba was just a town, all of the people were safe; that's all that mattered.

Lightning took the red head's hand that had been resting on her cheek and slid it towards her lips. The pink haired woman kissed her hand lovingly, it was all she could do to comfort the woman who had lost her home.

Clearing the emotion out of her throat, Vanille gripped Lightning's hand and gave an appreciative smile. After a moment, she found the courage to hear the rest of the story.

"What happened?" she repeated and waited patiently for the soldier to speak.

"When Snow and I got to Galbadia Garden we were able to sneak in pretty easily. In hindsight, I should've realized we were walking into a trap. It was too easy. Somewhere along the way I must have tripped a sensor though. I went to the third floor and I heard them say that the missile had been fired at Oerba. I...I really thought...," Lightning's stumbled on her words again, but Vanille understood. It was her turn to bring the soldier's hand to her lips. She gently kissed her knuckles in an attempt to make it clear that she didn't have to continue, but she did.

"I recklessly ran at Barthandelus. Someone must have being waiting for something like that because when I was feet away I was hit hard on the head. I was knocked out cold," Lightning revealed a little ashamedly, but Vanille did not judge her. She just squeezed her hand tighter.

"When I woke up, I saw you and...I couldn't believe it...Anyway, you know that part," Lightning was really struggling with this, but Vanille saw the determination in her to finish.

"Snow didn't follow procedure. Instead, he and both our units stormed onto the third floor and saved our asses. They captured Barthandelus and secured Galbadia Garden. Fang flew back to help Zack with the L'Cie a few hours ago and I brought you here," as she was saying this she stood up to look at the red head's wound.

"I'm okay, you know," Vanille whispered to the soldier, who was so obviously guilt ridden.

"I ruined the mission. If it weren't for my rash actions you wouldn't be hurt," Lightning berated herself, unable to meet the green eyes staring intently at her.

Vanille ignored Lightning's protest this time and sat up entirely, holding the sheet to her bare chest. There was nothing the soldier hadn't already seen but Rinoa could walk back in at any moment so she covered herself just in case.

Turning carefully so as to not aggravate her wound, Vanille came face to face with the pink haired woman. She held the sheet in her right hand while reaching up for Lightning's face with the other.

Gently tracing the other woman's features, Vanille watched as Lightning's eyes slid closed at her touch. It felt like years since she had felt the soldier's skin on her own. Lightning leaned into her hand and her eyes slid open to stare at the red head.

"I love you so much, Claire," Vanille said just above a whisper before leaning in toward the soldier. She pressed her lips against Lightning's in the lightest of kisses and lost herself in the feeling.

* * *

It had been a few days since the capture of Barthandelus, but Lightning still stayed in the Infirmary waiting for Vanille to heal. She waited on her hand and foot without complaint, despite the fact that the red head rarely asked much of her.

When the wound in her back had healed enough for her to be able to leave the Infirmary, Vanille asked for Lightning to take her to the secret area in the Training Center. The pink haired soldier agreed and that's where they stood now.

It was late afternoon and the red head looked so beautiful in the slanted rays from the slowly setting sun. Lightning approached her from behind and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman, resting her cheek on the top of Vanille's head.

""I need to tell you something," Vanille spoke suddenly and Lightning gave the red head her undivided attention. Vanille turned in her arms and looked up into Lightning's eyes.

"What is it?" Lightning asked gently, waiting patiently for her to say what she needed to say.

"I have to leave," Vanille told her confidently. For a moment, Lightning didn't understand what she was talking about. Why did she want to leave? She was happy in Balamb, wasn't she? Not waiting for Lightning to respond, Vanille continued.

"Oerba is destroyed. All of the L'Cie that were living there are homeless. I want to go help them rebuild," she told the soldier, not breaking eye contact. There was nothing Lightning could say that would change the red head's mind and she didn't want to.

"I understand," was all she could say. Vanille relaxed into her arms, resting her head on Lightning's shoulder, and the soldier knew her choice would be easy.

* * *

Squall was still filling out reports from the mission when Lightning knocked on the partially open door. He glanced up at her and gave her a small smile while gesturing for her to come in to his office.

"How's Vanille?" the Commander asked as Lightning sat down across from him. She knew what she was going to say to him but she decided to stick to the small talk for now.

"She's doing much better. She'll always have a scar though," Lightning told him, thinking about the red head relaxing in her dorm room at the moment.

"That's good. What can I do for you? I thought you'd be taking it easy yourself," Squall continued the conversation, while he finished up one of the many reports and beginning another.

"There's something I need to discuss with you," she informed him simply, pulling her gun blade out of its holster and placing it in her lap. For a moment, the General let her fingers graze over the cool steel of the weapon. She had gotten this gun blade as a gift when she became a soldier. Squall had offered her a higher quality one each time she had been promoted. Every single time she had refused, holding on to this gun blade.

"All right, what is it?" Squall asked, putting down his pen and giving Lightning his full attention. She could see the concern in his bright blue eyes, she couldn't really blame him. It was a rare day when she sought him out to talk.

Wordlessly, Lightning placed her gun blade carefully on the Commander's desk and for a moment they both stared at it. Squall, slowly took his eyes off of it to look up at his top General.

"I don't understand," he said, searching the pink haired woman's eyes but, as usual, she gave nothing away. Squall was not as hard to read, and Lightning could tell he had an idea of what she was doing.

"I formally resign as a General of Balamb Garden," she said flatly, no hint of emotion in her voice. Lightning watched as Squall looked down and slowly nodded his head in confirmation.

"I should have seen this coming. Going to Oerba?" he asked giving her a small, sad smile of understanding.

"Yes. We're going to help rebuild. Maybe even build a Garden there, depending on how the L'Cie feel about it," she informed him, still watching him as he stood up and picked up her gun blade. She stood up as well and saw him fling her weapon into a blade and then right back into a gun.

"Well, then I guess you're going to need this. Especially if you're going to be the Commander of Oerba Garden," Squall held out of the handle of her gun blade to her. She finally let herself smirk and took it from him, not bothering to tell him that nothing was finalized yet.

"Are you sure? You could use a newer model," she joked, surprising the Commander who let out a laugh. After a moment, it was apparent that he had no idea what to say to his long time comrade. Just as she was about to leave, he stopped her with a question.

"I'm just curious. How would you _informally_ resign?" Lightning turned to look at her boss. She had never really considered him a friend, but for some reason she felt a surge of affection for him at that moment. A part of her even wished that she had opened up to all of these people while she was here.

Stepping forward, she surprised him again by wrapping her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. It took him a second to get over his shock and when he did he snaked his arms around her slowly.

It was a short embrace, but it was full of meaning. They were officially friends and Lightning was okay with that. As they pulled away, Squall walked her to the elevator and they stood facing each other, watching each other with an unspoken mutual respect.

"Don't be a stranger, Lightning," he said as the elevator door opened.

"Good bye, Squall," she said, stepping into the elevator and giving him a smile. She had only used his first name a hand full of times and she could just see the grin that spread across his face as the doors closed.

* * *

Vanille was going to miss all of these people. She had come to not just know these people but she loved them as a family now.

It seemed as if half of Balamb Garden was standing in the Quad waiting their turn to say good-bye to Lightning and herself.

Tidus, who usually had a perpetual cocky grin on his face, was uncharacteristically somber. Even more surprising was that Lightning allowed herself to be brought into a hug from him. He was soon replaced by a tearful Yuna who seemed reluctant to let the General go.

All Vanille could think was, _This is going to be a long afternoon for Claire_. It was only a matter of time before all of these unwanted hugs would grate on her nerves, but the woman seemed to be handling it well.

One after another all of her friends came up and said their farewells. Zell even gave her a hot dog from the cafeteria for the trip. Selphie was bouncing on the balls of her feet and talking to Vanille a mile minute about what she was going to do about the Garden Festival Committee now that she was leaving.

Vanille didn't hear any of this. She was too busy staring at Lightning. How had she gotten so lucky? Lightning had not only saved her life, she had saved her soul as well.

Watching Lightning say good bye to all of her friends made Vanille feel a stab of guilt. She felt bad about the soldier having to leave everyone she knew, but in reality Vanille didn't really have a choice. As soon as she had told Lightning her intent to go help the L'Cie in Oerba the soldier had told her she was coming too. She couldn't have dissuaded her even if she wanted to and she most certainly didn't want to.

Vanille was startled out of her day dream when she heard a thunderous roar coming towards the Quad. Everyone looked to the location of the noise and saw Cloud on his motorcycle, Fenrir, driving through the Quad, parting people easily. He drove it past them and right up into the loading bay of the airship, where he cut the engine. Walking back down the ramp, he went right up to Lightning.

The pink haired woman looked interested in what the spiky haired blonde man was doing but said nothing. Not waiting for a response, Cloud grabbed her hand and put the keys to the motorcycle there.

"I want you to have it," was all Cloud said. He was a man of few words but when he did speak everyone listened.

"Strife, you know I can't take this," Vanille heard Lightning protest, attempting to hand the keys back to him. He merely folded his arms and shook his head. If most people did that they'd look like a stubborn toddler, but he just looked insistent.

"It's all yours. I've always felt like a brother to you. Take it...please," Vanille had never heard Cloud talk this way and from the look on Lightning's face, neither had she.

Nodding slowly, she hugged him tightly and Vanille had never noticed that they were almost exactly the same height. For some reason, she always thought that Lightning was taller.

Vanille made her way over to Lightning after this exchange and gave her a content smile which the other woman returned.

Without really thinking, Vanille slipped her arm around the soldier's waist and rested her head on Lightning's shoulder. She felt the other woman place a gentle kiss on her head before continuing a conversation with Rinoa and Tifa.

They talked for a while because out of everyone there, Vanille felt the closest to Rinoa. After all of the Infirmary visits they had become pretty close and she was definitely going to miss her.

Of course, Vanille knew that'd they'd be visiting Balamb on a regular basis, not to mention they'd be back in a matter of months to go to Tidus and Yuna's wedding.

Before long, it was time to leave and Lightning led Vanille by the hand to the airship. They waved one last time to their friends before the bay doors closed.

The two of them remained quiet during the trip to Oerba, each thinking about the new chapter in their lives they were about to embark on. Lightning held her hand the entire time though, stroking her thumb over the sensitive skin of Vanille's palm.

They arrived at the Vallis Media where the L'Cie were still living temporarily. A male that Vanille recognized but couldn't remember his name approached them as they stepped out of the airship. He smiled at them both and held out his hand to Lightning which she accepted gratefully.

"Noel Kreiss, I'm kind of the temporary leader right now," he introduced releasing her hand and nodding to Vanille, whom he obviously recognized.

"Claire Farron, former General of Balamb Garden. Nice to meet you," Vanille's head snapped to the pink haired woman in disbelief. Did she just say what she thought she said? Lightning definitely just told him her real name.

Noel seemed impressed with her credentials and welcomed her before making his way back to Zack and Aerith who waved over at them.

Once he was gone Vanille glanced sideways at the taller woman, questioning her with her eyes. Lightning simply smiled back at her and laced her fingers with the red head's while they walked over to the L'Cie.

"I don't need 'Lightning' anymore," she said simply and Vanille understood completely.


End file.
